Conversion of available energy

ABSTRACT

Solar energy (called energy to the extent it is thermodynamically useful) is focussed by an inflated, buoyant reflector for heating lithium circulating through an MHD conversion system. Hydrogen and nitrogen are added to the heated lithium, finely divided iron serving as catalyst to obtain lithium amid. The hydrogen has been produced by electrolysis of water. The lithium-lithium amid mixture (liquid) is mixed with pressurized nitrogen to obtain a two phase flow in which the liquid is accelerated; focussed into a jet passing through the MHD converter to obtain hydrazine and additional electrical energy e.g. for the hydrogen electrolysis; and returned to the solar heater. The gas (N 2 ) is separated; subjected to recuperative heat exchange with itself; and low temperature isothermic compression under direct contact with a liquid which in turn is, ultimately, air cooled. The entire assembly is of elongated construction wherein the main active elements are arranged along a center axis e.g. as part of a central tubing surrounded by smaller tubing which section-wise runs various fluids to their appropriate destinations while serving as support frame. The entire process runs on the basis of self-sustaining fluid circulations without moving parts; the thermo and hydrodynamics as well as the electromagnetic interactions are explained and mathematically analyzed. The use of hydrazine as universal fuel is explained on the basis of compatibility with the biosphere. Alternative modes of hydrazine synthesis including using nuclear reaction as primary heat source is discussed.

This is a division, of application Ser. No. 545,133, filed Jan. 29,1975, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,453.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the transformation of available energyresulting ultimately from nuclear reactions into free enthalpy ofmestastable chemical compounds. Energy which can be made available willhereinafter be called exergy. Specifically, exergy is that portion ofenergy or heat which can (potentially) be extracted and used in any formof work. Exergy is, therefore, defined under observation of the secondlaw of thermodynamics. The residual energy is called anergy. Exergy isin any instance dependant upon the environmental temperature. Exergy canbe latent if stored in a chemical compound and made available by achemical reaction.

This invention is an attempt to find a solution to the followingproblem: is it possible to continue operation of all technical powerproducing and heat generating systems, and to increase such systems witha supply of such available energy, i.e. exergy, that is independant fromconsumption of the terrestrial stock of chemical (fossil) and nuclearfuels and does not require depositing of useless or even dangerousreaction products.

Technical systems, therefore, have to be designed in analogy tobotanical organism, which are able to absorb exergy radiated from sunand to store it in matter as its carrier. The storage of exergy shouldbe carried out under development of functions similar to those performedby ATP (adenosine-tri-phosphate) in all living organisms. Following,therefore, the biological model a steady state of dynamic equilibriumbetween the exergy consuming technical systems, on the one hand, andtheir supply systems transforming available energy from the sun shouldbe reached and, must be reached, to obtain a steady state in regard toproduction and technically useful consumption of the material carrier.Specifically here, the same quantities of carriers should dischargetheir exergy in technical power and heating systems on the average, asare being recharged by the transformation of solar exergy. Moreover, thestorage and discharge of exergy by and for all technical power producingand heat generating systems should not interfere with the variousbiological cycles or disturb the steady states of all organisms. Inother words; the production and consumption of technical exergy carriersshould coexist with the biosphere. Most present day fuels do not.

The reasons for the energy crisis of technical systems, theirconsequences in the long range as well as the possibilities to overcomethe crisis will be explained in the following. At first I proceed topresent an introduction into the energetic principles of biologicalorganisms. Thereafter I shall describe the dependance of evolutionarydevelopment from exergy supply, followed by considerations which lead tothis invention.

To secure life, evolution and reproduction of any organism, twoconditions in regard to its ambience have to be fulfilled: First, theambience has to contain the materials necessary to compose theorganism's structure, to repair and to reproduce it; second, theambience has to provide the work which enables the organism both tocompose, repair and reproduce its structure as well as to overcomeexternal mechanical or chemical forces.

Both conditions are met in the case of zoological organisms, such as menand animals, in the way, that these organisms do not receive and take upwork proper from their ambience but withdraw energy therefrom which isstored as exergy as a potential source for work performed by and in theorganism. Exergy is transferred to the respective organism in the formof free enthalpy of chemical compounds which are used to be food. Foodhas essentially two functions. In accordance with one function, itserves as the material carrier of exergy, the other function is that itserves as raw material for regeneration of the structure. On the otherhand, and just as one example, warm blooded organisms loose heat to theusually color environment and, by this exergy. Animals and man howeverreceive energy by way of non-material carriers (i.e. radiation) only toa neglible extent. In terms of thermodynamics, any organism which canreceive (or loose) exergy on non-material energy carriers as well as onmaterial carriers is, an open system.

In contrast to open systems such as man or animals, their living space,the earth, is not an open system. The transfer of matter between earthand the outer space is negligibly small; exergy, therefore, will betransferred to earth due to lack of material carriers practicallyexclusively on non-material energetic carriers, which areelectro-magnetic fields, emitted by the sun in the form of radiation. Acertain equilibrium exists here as to radiation from the earth andstorage of such radiation in the form of latent energy.

It is a problem of primary importance how the zoological organisms,being open systems as defined, can actually exist on and coexist withearth (i.e. within a closed system) for a very long period of time,independant from any open ended source for a material carrier (matter)of exergy. This problem has been solved by nature through the existenceof a second category of open systems known as plants. Plants beingbotanical organisms can transfer exergy from a non-material energeticcarrier, to matter as carrier; they do store solar radiation (or exergyof the electro-magnetical field) in form of free enthalphy of chemicalcompounds by photosynthesis, mostly using atoms of C (carbon), of O(oxygen) and of H (hydrogen), which they withdraw from air and water tocomplete this basic cycle within the biosphere.

This exergy storage is possible only due to the fact, that hydro-carbonssynthesized are metastable in regard to O₂ ; exergy has to be providedto initiate their reactions. Open system requirements of zoologicalorganisms can be satisfied, if in fact, exergy is continuouslytransferred by radiation from the outside, i.e., the sun. The zoologicaland botanical organisms can coexist under these conditions if for anunlimited period of time, a stationary state is being maintained andkept constant. It has to be observed however, that the internal exergyconsumption typical for all organisms (as an example, to organizemetabolism) reduces the amount. of exergy which can be used underoptimal conditions to feed men and animals, because plants have theirown exergy requirements which are consumed irreversibly and cannot berecaptured.

While the exergy radiated from sun will be lost gradually during thenumerous transformations-thus causing the one-way dependence of men andanimals from plants-matter cannot be lost. It is the matter as carrierof exergy, not the exergy itself, which determines the steady stationarystate of coexistence in form of a dynamic equilibrium. In such a caseonly so many CO₂ -- and H₂ O-- molecules can be charged per unit timewith exergy, serving as building blocks for hydrocarbons as well as forthe generation of O₂, as are discharged from exergy by reacting underformation of CO₂ and H₂ O, caused e.g. by men, animals or other causes.

The stationary state in the coexistence and interaction of zoologicaland botanical organisms is related to the biosphere as a whole; thisstate does not include a dynamic equilibrium between individualorganisms and its environment. It is, indeed, in general, anon-equilibrium which can be found normally amongst the differentbiological organisms. Consequently, each organism has a need toparticipate optimally on the limited exergy supply. As was stated above,individual organisms are open systems and a condition of equilibriumbetween an organism by itself and its environment cannot be expected tooccur but the organism is more or less actively engaged in establishingor maintaining an approach to a dynamic equilibrium with itsenvironment, resulting in a state of coexistence among the species andparticipants of the biosphere as a whole. On the other hand, thiscondition of non-equilibrium is the driving force of evolution.Evolution, therefore, is at least to some extent, the result of the factthat the state within the biosphere is not truely stationary, but, so tospeak, quasi-stationary only, and coexistence is true only temporarily.

Evolution can be characterized by the rise of organisms that have anincreasingly complex (i.e., more adaptable) structure. There are twolimiting possibilities for evolutionary development. The phylogeneticevolution means the reproduction of a structure in a slightly modifiedand (at least) better form caused by changes in pattern. By this methoddo not the individuals but species or races evolve from generation togeneration. In case of ontogenetic evolution the pattern of structure,but not its (natural) disorder remains unchanged. Any progress is nowdetermined by the individual; for the individual is able (in principle)to pass through a large number of stages of development during his life.Mostly humans (less animals) are involved in the ontogeneticdevelopment; that part of their structure, which might be changed in thedirection of higher degress of order and complexity is located mainly inthe brain.

Two different phases of human development are to be recognized the firstending at the middle of 18. century. During this phase mankindconstituted a subgroup of zoological organisms within the biosphere;human existence was limited in general by all the factors given by therequirements to coexist with botanical and zoological organisms.Decisive here was that the attempts of humans to exist, did not disturbnoticeably the coexistence between the human race and the biosphere, nordid it disturb the coexistence among other species of the biosphere. Inthe second phase, however, a small group of human individuals was ableto overcome some of these limitations in countries which lead up to whatbecame known as the industrial revolution and created what can be calledthe techno-sphere. This group succeeded not only by improving the heatproducing systems known so far, but has been able to develop technicalpower systems based on fossil fuels. Use of these fuels multiplies theforces available to humans by many orders of magnitudes, but the use ofthese fuels and this discharge of exergy carriers which have dischargedtheir exergy for the benefit of the techno-sphere has begun to interferewith the biosphere.

There are two consequences essentially: On the one hand a very smallgroup of humans started to accelerate its own evolutionary development(mostly on technological-economical areas) in a way not known before.The non-equilibrium in regard to other groups and inbetween this groupresulted in world-wide conflicts. On the other hand, thequasi-stationary state of coexistence of the biological organisms hasbeen discontinued, not only as between the man made techno-sphere andthe biosphere, but also among other members of the biosphere, includingthe human race as a member of that biosphere.

The technical power systems so far developed are designed to consumeexergy stored in matter as carrier. The supply of these systems seems tobe organized, therefore, in analogy to zoological organisms. While,however, the zoological systems coexisted in a stationary state with thebotanical systems, this situation does not hold true for the technicalsystems. Today the technical systems consume at about 95% exergy offossil fuels, which is exergy stored from botanical organisms in form ofhydrocarbons and O₂ ; the technical systems are fed with this exergyfrom sources of supply, which have been accumulated during some millionsof years. As a consequence, this kind of exergy supply is limited intime necessarily.

The totality of botanical organisms needs and receives a solar exergyflux for the production of hydrocarbons and O₂ of about 40.10¹² W.Compared to this, the technical systems consume today (1974) an exergyflux of about 6.10¹² W. If, however, the entire world population ofabout 4.10⁹ individuals were to consume in the average, the same amountof exergy of about 10 kW consumed per capita in the U.S., technical andbotanical systems would have the same demand for exergy. Considering therise in population, increasing industrialization etc., this may occur inthe near future. In this case, and, due to the low efficiency ofphotosynthesis of about 10%, ten times more of CO₂ - and H₂ O-moleculeswill be released than plants can reconstruct into hydrocarbons and O₂.Thus, the steady state in regard to exergy carriers has been destroyed,and the discharged exergy carriers, CO₂ and H₂ O accumulate in theatmosphere and elsewhere.

The supply of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas areestimated to be about 200.10²¹ Ws (or approximately 200 Q). Thisquantity is enough to cover a continuous demand of 40.10¹² W for aperiod of time of 5.10⁹ s, equivalent to about 158 years. If, however,mankind increases up to about 15.10⁹ individuals by the year 2050 (asindicated by reasonable extrapolation), and if, in addition only half ofthe fuel can be made available for actual consumption, then the timeperiod will be reduced from 158 to 21 years!!

In order to continue human evolution with the assistance of technicalheating, power and other work producing systems, as well as informationsystems, the dynamic equilibrium in the biosphere has to be restored andthe exergy supply of technical systems must be ensured on a longtermbasis but in an entirely different manner.

Nuclear carriers of exergy such as uranium, plutonium and deuterium,cannot be used to reach both targets. The deuterium available within theclosed system earth is inexhaustible if compared to uranium; theproblem, however, is that all discharged carriers (and theirby-products) such as tritium as well as the fission products of uraniumand plutonium have to be stored, because they cannot be recharged (whichis the principle difference between carriers of chemical and nuclearenergy). The accumulation of these highly radioactive and long-livedmaterials is accompanied with an increasing probability for radioactivecontamination of the biosphere with the result of a deadly interruptionof all steady states.

The only solution for this problem seems to lie in a technical systemfor exergy supply, which is designed in accordance with the principlesof botanical organisms and can coexist with the biosphere! Solar exergymust be stored on a material carrier which can be used as universaltechnical fuel and which in turn can be recharged following use withoutinterferring the biological steady state. Even a population of 15.10⁹individuals consuming 10 kW per capita will claim only a very smallfraction of the solar exergy flux of about 173.10¹⁵ W. A solar basedtechnical exergy supply system following the rules mentioned above isthe object of this invention.

The present day exergy utilization in the technosphere should beconsidered in some detail. Presently, the zoological organisms as wellas the technical power and heating systems are both fed with exergytransferred almost exclusively by means of material carriers, and theirinternal organization is developed to make available the exergy to thevarious organs and subsystems respectively; these are the consumers ofthe exergy. Both the zoological as well as the technical systems havedeveloped two identical principles for this work; on the one sideexergy, which is stored on a material carrier, will be distributed andmade available for consumption by the consumers wherever required; onthe other side, exergy is made available and transmitted in form ofelectrical energy ready for immediate consumption along conductionpaths. A material carrier of exergy is (in some respect) like a storagefacility, whenever work has to be performed the storage facility must betapped. As an example, a hydrocarbon of higher degree is an exergonicchemical compound, which appears to be metastable in regard to O₂ undernormal conditions. However, work for obtaining the discharge of thestored exergy of such a carrier has to be exerted and even beaccumulated in many cases until a trigger level has been reached, whichis equivalent to the exertion of activation exergy to overcome themetastable threshold and being necessary also to increase the capacityfor the reaction. In the presence of a catalyst the activation exergy isdiminished.

Electro-magnetic fields are used as non-material, energy carriers inboth biological and technical systems. These carriers transmit exergy intechnical systems at low frequencies, guided by metallic conductorsavailable for immediate consumption at any place without any activation.There is a trade off here between the limited possibilities for storageof exergy of electromagnetic fields and the immediate availibility offield exergy; the access time for exergy stored in a non-materialenergetic carrier is essentially zero.

At the present stage of development the technical power and heatingsystems are fed with different hydrocarbons, which have almost the samespecific exergy, but which differ in regard to phases (solid, liquid,gaseous). Also, the activation exergy differs in dependance upon the H₂-content. Coal has the lowest H₂ -content, less than 7.5% and,therefore, requires the highest activation exergy. Oil, which is aliquid with a H₂ -content of about 15% exceeds natural gas with a H₂-content of 33% in regard to the activation exergy. About one-third eachof all technical systems use coal, oil and gas respectively (Example:U.S.A. 1970).

Thermal activation is the only possibility known so far to makeavailable this exergy in a technical scale; the stationary combustion offossil fuels requires about 35% of their exergy stored for activation.This means that activation cannot be performed without accumulation ofexternal exergy. Coal requires, therefore, the longest ignition period,while natural gas has the smallest period and its exergy is availablerather immediately.

In highly developed countries, about one-third of the material carriersof exergy will be discharged in power stations. Specifically, about 35%of the exergy stored and transported in some fashion to the powerstation will be consumed for the thermal activation of carriers, and anadditional 35% will be used in the subsequent transformation intoelectrical energy; the (so-called thermal) efficiency of power stations,therefore, will not exceed much about 30%. As a consequence, about 10%of the total energy transmitted to all the technical power and heatingsystems will be available directly in the form of electrical exergy in adistribution network however, only about 43% of this energy, arriving atthe consumer, are actually available for the various non-electricalconsumers.

The cost for the transport of electrical energy and of gaseous, liquidand solid hydrocarbons are estimated to follow the ratio 20:5:1:10,while the capacities of the usual transportation devices in accordanceare related as 1:25:500:1. Both, the medium activation exergy and theextremely high amenability of liquid exergy carrier to transportation,when compared to the others, have greatly influenced the evolution oftechnical power and heating systems predominantly towards liquid exergycarriers: The word-wide shift in regard to these systems from solid toliquid exergy carriers (partially to gaseous carriers) as universalfuels cannot be reversed. This however, has produced a direct andincreasing dependance from oil, but oil constitutes only about 5% of thesupply of fossil fuels. Consequently one must analyze proposals toreplace oil by other liquids, which aspect is the principle concernunderlying this invention.

Since the coexistence of the techno-sphere and of the biosphere must beregarded as an absolute prerequisite for the continuation of bothspheres, it is reasonable and appropriate to match the former to thelatter. Thus, it is worthwhile to note the fact, that all livingorganisms have developed the identical organization to distribute andmake available the exergy which has been received even though theydeveloped along very different lines of evolution. The principle of thisorganization is apparently optimal and further development may not benecessary or even possible. This principle can be characterized (as faras known today) by the following rules:

1. Higher hydrocarbons are used both to store exergy on a long-termbasis and to transfer exergy from the botanical to the zoologicalorganisms.

2. ATP (adenosine-tri-phosphate) is the carrier which is being usedexclusively within all living organisms for both storing exergy onshort-term basis, and for distributing it internally.

3. Exergy of hydrocarbons and of ATP will be released in form ofelectrical energy; in the reverse, hydrocarbons, ATP and other carrierswhen used to perform non-electrical work are synthesized by means ofelectrical energy. The blocking of the first (exergonic) process isovercome by special catalysts.

The transformation of solar exergy in botanical systems and (indirectly)in zoological systems as well as the coupling between both kinds ofsystems with the help of hydrocarbons can be explained by these rules asfollows:

ATP plays the decisive role by being the universal fuel transported inliquid phase within all organisms. The exergy of ATP will be transformedreversibly and directly into electrical energy (which appears to be oneof the long-term targets of development of technical systems, realizedin a first step by fuel-cells). The exergy stored in ATP is also beingused to perform mechanical work in muscles or chemical work by "pumping"ions in the cells of the nervous systems.

Hydrocarbons, however, not ATP do couple the zoological to the botanicalorganisms in regard to exergy transfer due to the fact, that theatmosphere has to be used for recycling of all discharged carriers innature! The reaction-products of ATP, however, which are ADP(adenosine-di-phosphate) and P (free phosphate) cannot exist within anambience containing gaseous O₂ in contrast to CO₂ and H₂ O which aredifferent. The external exergy carriers for biological organisms are atthe same time the raw material for the construction of the organismsstructure; it seems to be necessary, therefore, to offer a broadspectrum of different hydrocarbons.

OBJECTS AND PURPOSE OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention presented here to describe a technicalsystem for exergy supply on a solar basis, to which the presenttechnical power and heating systems can easily be adapted. The basicidea is to find a technological analogon to the internal organization ofbiological organisms as characterized by the three rules mentionedabove.

In the present stage of technical development exergy carriers do notserve also for the construction of the systems to be supplied withexergy. Therefore, technical, work producing and energy consumingsystems should be coupled directly with a new fuel supply system via auniversal liquid fuel which has to some extent analogous functions asATP.

This universal fuel must have the property that its reaction-productscan be recycled through the atmosphere (for rule 1 is still notapplicable to the present technical systems); the reaction-productsshould not interfere with the biological cycles and should not disturbcoexistence with biological systems. N₂ which is nitrogen is the onlyone component of air, except CO₂, which can be considered as a basis forthe contemplated technical exergy carrier due to its dominatingabundance. Hydronitrogens, therefore, seem to be best suit to bear therole of a universal technical fuel. The simplest compound (NH₂)₂ here ishydrazine or di-amide; it is a liquid under normal conditions, has ahigh specific exergy but is metastable and reacts with O₂ or (OH)₂,which is hydrogen-peroxide, forming N₂ and H₂ O as requiredfundamentally.

Hydrazine is a compound which can be used favorably in fuel cells due tothe electron transfer when reacting with O₂ or (OH)₂ in order totransform its exergy into electrical energy directly. In the case thatthis transformation can be realized in a technical scale, then theanalogy between this fuel and ATP might be perfect; as a technicalconsequence the transmission of electrical energy via extended networkscan be dispensed with. The following relation describes this particularelectron transfer:

    (NH.sub.2).sub.2aq +4OH.sup.- →4e+N.sub.2 +H.sub.2 O

Hydrogen-peroxide can actually be used in a turbine even withouthydrazine due to the relatively large exergy released during decay intoO₂ and H₂ O when in contact with catalysts. The requirement to feedconventional systems with the new universal fuel and its liquid oxidantwithout larger adjustments is, therefore, realizable on a technicalscale and has been realized in the past.

Hydrazine is today raw material for the production of a large number ofchemical compounds, such as drugs and nitrogen polymers, and especiallypoly-amides are of great importance in the chemistry and technology ofsynthetic plastics. It might be useful to consider hydrazine as thesubstitute for oil in the chemical industry. This, however, presupposesthat hydrazine can be made available for example under directutilization of solar exergy!

All biological organisms do replace continuously large parts of theirstructure; by this the reliable functioning of the structure is securedtwice: The continuous reconstruction is equivalent to a replacement ofused parts before the rapid increase of probability for failures, whileon the other hand, the continuous production of identical parts lowersdeterministic failure rates substantially. An extended nervous systemprovides continuous supervision of the organism.

The present technical power and heating systems and especially theexergy supply systems (power stations) are organized and designed in amanner which is quite different from both the biological organisms andthe modern technical information systems. Power and heating systems aswell as power stations are mostly produced from parts designed for longlife terms; it is hardly possible even to define probabilistic failures.The methods used to avoid deterministic failures include supervisionduring production and sufficiently large proportioning. Failsafedevices, standby equipment and some redundancy have been introduced toreduce failure and dropout probability as far as overall operation isconcerned. But cost considerations have more or less left this conceptin rudimentary stages.

The rapid increase of exergy demand for exergy in the future willapparently result in serious production gaps (for power stations) due tothis design and safety philosophy provided that nuclear energy will bechosen to overcome the crisis in the near future. In order to keep upwith the needs for power just in the European community, an additional1000 MW nuclear power station has to be installed twice a week.

The exergy transformer for converting solar exergy into hydrazine due tothis invention is designed and supervised following the principles ofbiological organisms.

This invention to be described in the following gives an example of howto realize the solutions of problems mentioned in the foregoing. Thespecific object of the invention, therefore, is a method and system totransform exergy in order to supply the technical work producing, powerand heating systems, and also systems converting chemical energydirectly into electrical energy, with exergy on a material carrier. Morespecifically, it is an object of this invention to use solar exergy forproducing a fuel which when discharging its stored exergy results indecomposition products and waste which is compatible with the biosphereand will not destroy the coexistence between plants and animal on theearth. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide for atechno-spheric cycle which can coexist with the biospheric cycleparticularly with regard to inherent mutual traversion of these cyclesby each other because of common use of the atmosphere.

It is another object of the present invention to provide for a methodand system for the synthesis of chemical endergonic compounds. Anendergonic compound is one in which the free enthalpic after formationof the compound is larger than the free enthalpic prior to thatformation; in contradistinction to an exergonic compound in which therelation as to free enthalpic is reversed.

It is a further object of the present invention to convert solar exergyinto different forms of exergy which is or includes electrical energyusing a novel process under utilization of MHD-principles.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a new methodfor obtaining electrolysis in an MHD fluid process energized by means ofexternally applied thermal energy.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide for a systemwhich permits the large scale production of hydrazine from solar energyas an endergonic compound using largely self-contained modules which canbe clustered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, a device,called exergy transformer, absorbs exergy, preferably in the form ofsolar radiation and converts this exergy first into electrical energy,and stores this energy on the components N₂ and H₂ O in the way toobtain a liquidous chemical compound (NH₂)₂ serving as the materialcarrier of this exergy proper and which may serve as the supply for thetechnical work producing power and heating systems as well as fuelcells, to make this exergy available in form and manner which iscompatible with the biosphere and coexists therewith fully.

The production of the preferred oxidizer, (OH)₂ may accompany theprocess of forming (NH₂)₂ while producing H₂ as raw product needed forthe (HN₂)₂ synthesis. N₂ and H₂ O will serve as the raw materials of theexergy transformation system as producing (NH₂)₂ and (OH)₂, and theseproducts are in turn the products of the reaction of (NH₂)₂ and (OH)₂ orO₂, and can, therefore, be characterized to be the discharged carriersof exergy, which are recycled within the atmosphere from the exergyconsuming technical systems and fuel cells to the exergy transformers,in a far-reaching analogy to CO₂ and H₂ O as the discharged externalcarriers of exergy supplied to biological organisms.

Specifically, it is most significant, that the biospheric carbon/CO₂/water cycle and the techno-spheric hydronitrogen/nitrogen/water cycledo not interfere with each other. The steady states of technical systemsas using (NH₂)₂ and (OH)₂ and as discharging N₂ and H₂ O as exhaustedcarriers of exergy, including any equilibrium with production of (NH₂)₂and (OH)₂, will coexist with the analogous steady state of biologicalorganisms functioning with energy charged hydrocarbons and CO₂ and H₂ Oas discharged carriers. In view of the fact that only limited amounts ofN₂ (and, possibly but not necessarily, as water) are only temporarilyextracted from the earth's atmosphere, changes of the climate at earth'ssurface are not produced. Also, absorption of solar radiation andrejection of the waste heat (of transformation) for very large scaleproduction will not result in climate changes due to the fact that thesolar exergy absorbed will be taken mostly from that fraction which isre-radiated into space and will be replaced partially by the waste heatof the transformation process anyway.

If H₂ O, as well as N₂, are separated from the air by physical methodscharged with exergy within the transformer and conversion systems, inprinciple, three different processes are involved in order to synthesize(NH₂)₂, (OH)₂ and/or O₂. The first process is the conversion of solarradiation, reflected and focussed by mirrors, into electrical energybased on magneto-hydro-dynamics with liquid metals serving as theworking fluid; the second process might overlap with the first onebecause the same liquid metal is used in this second process for thesynthesis of (NH₂)₂ and consumes a portion of the electrical energygenerated. The remainder of the electrical energy is taken from thetransformer system proper and fed to the third process producing bothH₂, as an intermediate product for the (NH₂)₂ synthesis by the secondprocess, as well as (OH)₂ and/or O₂.

More specifically, solar exergy will be transferred to a working fluidin the first process and converted in parts, into kinetic energy of theworking fluid. Preferably Li and Li(NH₂), i.e., lithium andlithium-amide are used as the liquid phase of the working fluid. Thesolar exergy thus transferred is made available in the form ofelectrical energy for and in the other two processes, using interactionof the liquid metals with an external travelling magnetic field. Aboutone-third of the electrical energy generated will be consumed directlywithin a free, magnetically guided Li--Li(NH₂)--jet for the secondprocess which is the electrolysis of Li(NH₂), using finely dispersed Fe,which is iron, to act as bipolar electrodes (in this step) in order toobtain the separation of (NH)₂ -groups from the lithium, followed bycombining of respective twos of groups to (NH₂)₂ ; the residual solutionof metallic Li and Li(NH₂) is recycled in the process.

The remaining two-thirds of the electrical energy will be coupled outfrom the exciter coils of the external magnetic field and transferred toanother system, apart from the system described in regard to the workingfluid, in order to run the third process outlined above and which takesplace chemically in a far reaching analogy, and which is comprised ofthe electrolysis of Li(OH) (or other alkali-hydroxides), possibly usingbipolar electrodes, in order to generate OH-groups which can combine to(OH)₂ in a further step, thus producing metallic Li (or otheralkali-metals) at least ready for reaction with H₂ O releasing H₂ and(OH⁻) within a closed cycle.

The first process (converting solar exergy into electrical energy) byitself should require and consume a small amount of exergy. This highinternal efficiency will be achieved by a proper development of thedifferent steps compared to those of the well knownliquid-metal-MHD-processes. Specifically, not only are liquid andgaseous phases of the working fluid chosen as different media, to obtainmaximum efficiency of acceleration by optimization in the choice ofquality and densities, but the liquid phase is also mixed with finelydispersed iron to make it behave like a ferro-magnetic fluid, thuspermitting to exert body forces upon the various droplets at the end ofacceleration in order to cause the droplets to conglomerate and to forma compact, free jet, concurring with separation of the residual gaseousphases. This way, jet guidance and (radial) jet compression duringdeceleration is simplified.

As stated above, Li and Li(NH₂) is used as liquid phase for the workingfluid. N₂ is the preferred gaseous phase in the working fluid, becauseN₂ is, on the one hand, inert in regard to the mixture of Li(NH₂) andthe powdered iron, while, on the other hand, N₂ leads to a density ratioof about 10⁻² of gaseous to liquid phase at 800 K, which ratio causes anacceleration efficiency in the jet forming nozzle about 0.7 at qualitiesabout 0.5, as has been found emperically. N₂ circulates in a separatecirculation through the system.

As stated, the working fluid includes ferromagnetic liquid droplets,which, when leaving focussing nozzles following expansion, enter aradial symmetric, but strongly inhomogeneous magnetic field just beforethe focussing point of the two-phase flow, given by nozzleconfiguration. Therefore, these droplets are forced to move in thedirection of decreasing field strength like a diamagnetic body untilthey form a compact liquid jet, due to the magnetic momentum inducedopposite in the direction to the external field within the droplets. Asimilar effect, however, can be achieved by another device, composedfrom a ring-shaped separator upstream of the focus of two-phase flow,with a Coanda-lip at its lower end, and used to separate a portion ofliquid phase from the two-phase flow, which flows along a separatorsurface, leaves the separator by passing the Coanda-lip, and thus, formsa hollow-cored liquid jet, which enables an electric current to flow inaxial direction from the ring-shaped separator, serving as the upstreamelectrode. The hollow-core jet is used here as a metallic conductor forthe generation of a focussing (or radially compressing) theta-pinch.

In both of these cases as outlined in the preceding paragraph, thegaseous phase, has accelerated the liquid phase in expansion nozzles,but has decoupled from the droplets at the end of expansion due to itsvery low density. The gaseous phase will diffuse from the convergingdroplets when flowing from the nozzle exit towards the device for jetgeneration, even if expansion is not continued here. The decoupledgaseous phase is caused to enter a heat exchanger. Any residual portionof the gaseous phase will be extracted during magnetic compression ofthe liquid phase, until a compact, ferromagnetic free jet with highspecific kinetic energy has been formed.

This jet has a high magnetic Reynolds-number. An external magnetic,preferably radial-symmetric, travelling field is applied to that jet toobtain energy extraction by deceleration. This field is generated bysolenoid cells and should guide and compress the jet following thebetatron-principle, forcing the jet into the place of minimum potentialenergy in the coil axis. This jet must also enter a jet capture deviceat the end of energy extraction in order to make use of its residualkinetic energy for the compression of the liquid (followingbernoulli-equation) to obtain its recirculation as working fluid (liquidphase) to the heat source, which is possible only if the jet retains acompact configuration; this jet can be compressed radially by the fieldlines passing through the liquid jet in axial direction, thuscompensating the forces which, under certain circumstances, tend to blowthe jet in radially outward direction, particularly when the field linesare distorted by the increase of cross-section of liquid jet due to itsdeceleration.

As a feature of the invention it is suggested to provide for threelinked circulations. The first circulation involves basically lithiumand lithium amid as the liquid phase in a two phase flow for thepreparation for the MHD process. The lithium serves additionally asworking fluid for that process concurring with the function as carrierfluid in which electrolysis for the final formation of hydrazine takesplace. Still furthermore the lithium is the fluid which is initiallyheated i.e. which undergoes the primary heat exchange with externallyapplied and/or developed thermal exergy. This liquid phase will, in thefollowing be termed more generally the first magneto-hydro-dynamic fluidor mfd #1 fluid for short.

The gaseous phase in the two phase flow is established by a secondcirculation of a fluid called thermo-fluid dynamic fluid or tfd forshort. This fluid has been pressurized and enters into heat exchangewith the liquid phase for isobaric heating, followed by immediateexpansion and acceleration so that in turn the liquid phase isaccelerated in a manner known per se. The gaseous phase is separatedfrom the liquid phase and does not participate in the electrolyticprocess, instead it enters into recuperative heat exchange with itselfand being isothermically pressurized inbetween. Specifically, the tfdgas is isothermically pressurized and that gas when still having lowpressure gives off thermal exergy to the gas following repressurizationso that this compression can be carried out at lowest possibletemperature without wasting the thermal energy.

The third circulation is the mfd #2 fluid enters into heat exchange withthe gaseous phase (second circulation) for obtaining the isothermic lowtemperature compression so as to reduce the work needed for thatpressurization of the tfd-gas. The tfd fluid may at some point actuallybe liquified.

The mfd #2 fluid serves, basically as heat exchanger but should have mfdcharacteristics so that it can be pumped e.g. by an auxiliary MHD-pump.This mfd #2 fluid will be cooled externally by means of air. Thiscooling may be carried out indirectly through interpositioning ofanother heat exchange circulation, if for various reasons the mfd #2fluid became "contaminated" with reaction residue of the mfd #1 fluidand has to be cleaned during its circulation.

The process that is carried out in accordance with the present inventioncan also be understood on a more generalized basis. One begins with aconcentration of solar energy as preferred source of heat. That heat isused (together with a catalyst) to synthesize an amid of an alkali metalby adding nitrogen and hydrogen. The amid is then caused to give off theNH₂ under conditions which permit ready and direct formation ofhydrazine, while the metal is caused to recycle. The hydrogen isproduced separately and the nitrogen is taken from air. In one form ofpracticing the invention, the hydrazine is generated by way ofelectrolysis as mentioned and on the basis of an MHD conversion processderiving its exergy from the solar energy in that a two phase system isoperated and energized by the solar energy for moving the liquid phasethrough the MHD device. That liquid phase is or includes metal-amid,while the gaseous phase is the thermo dynamic working fluid andcirculates separately. The hydrogen needed for this process is producedfor example by a separate, electrolysis of water but powered by excesselectrical energy from the MHD conversion, wuile (OH)₂, a suitableoxidizer results as bi-product. Alternatively, (as to hydrazineproduction) the metal amid is chemically treated to give off NH₂ for theproduction of hydrazine. This is accomplished by adding water to themetal amid so that metal-hydroxide, diamid and hydrogen is formed. Theproduction of hydrogen is, therefore, a direct part of the hydrazinesynthesis and can be used to obtain the metal amid. The MHD conversionprocess is used also here to reconstitute the metal by electrolyticallydecomposing the metal hydroxide. Water and hydrogen is used in thisprocess as the gaseous phase for the two phase system necessary toproduce the movement of the liquid phase through the MHD system.Recuperative heat exchange and recompression of the gaseous phase isused in either case, as thermo-dynamic process steps.

In any of these methods kinetic energy of a liquid phase is extractedfrom solar energy and electrolysis is obtained by induction in thatliquid phase as it moves through the MHD conversion system. Thenon-coulombic electric field as induced therein strips off electronsfrom the negative OH⁻ or NH₂ ⁻ ions and shifts them to the positivemetal ions while iron particles serve as bi-polar electrodes responsibleprimarily for a strong electric current in the liquid phase whichsustains the electrolytic electron transfer in the liquid between andadjacent the iron particles. The current within the fluid interacts withthe magnetic field as applied (external or through self-excitation) andas increased by the ferromagnetic properties of the iron particles, tothereby guide, focus and decelerate the free flowing fluid thus takingcare of the energy balance.

The transformer system is designed and constructed to permit the rawmaterials H₂ O and N₂ of the processes as well as the intermediateproduct H₂ to enter, and the products (NH₂)₂, (OH)₂ and/or O₂ to leave,without impairing the reliability of the total transformer system. Onthe other hand, the system must be designed to satisfy the needs of thelogistics of the entire exergy transformer system as to reduction ofprobabilistic failure due to a modular concept and due to an on-lineproduction in a factory (not on site) with very stringent qualitychecks. Additionally, redundancy should be introduced, and modulesshould be exchanged frequently after a relative short operation time.All of the subsystems as well as the characteristic states of processesshould be continuously supervised. A basic condition must be met namely,that bottlenecks are to be avoided as much as possible as far asproduction and installation are concerned as that would hamper meetingany rapidly increasing demand.

The contemplated synthesis of Li(NH₂) using metallic Li, H₂ and N₂ asraw materials, will be based on forces typical for thermodynamics ofirreversible processes, in other words, processes are run bynon-equilibria without requiring moving mechanical parts (which arenecessary when making use of the ammonia-synthesis as intermediatestep). Running the process on the basis of disturbing or preventinglocally a thermodynamic equilibrium can be realized for example if N₂and H₂ are introduced directly into the Li as passing through the heatsource and are made to react with Li with the aid of the finelydispersed Fe serving in this instance as catalyst. In a different partof the system, any (NH₂)₂ that has been produced must be evacuated fromthe free jet, passed through the space between the jet and the coils ofthe magnet system, condensated elsewhere and discharged.

The transformer systems proper, in which exergy storage takes place, areconstructed for production in very large numbers, following theprinciples of modular light weight techniques, and thus, reducing thecomponents to parts of very simple geometry, for instance, to tubes,coils and stamped out sheets; this idea can be realized if theprinciples of construction of vertebrates are adapted, which are basedon a skeleton, carrying the various organs and enveloped by multipleelastic skins, for example, by using a skeleton like frame made fromparallel tubes and stiffened and partitioned by equidistant sheetsequivalent to bulkheads. Such construction takes up on the one hand, allinternal and external forces, but transports internally, on the otherhand, the various fluids. The skeleton or frame is manteled by at leasttwo skins; the inner skin is stiffened, in addition, by another,corrugated sheet, and encloses the working fluid. The outer skin, due toits lower temperature, compensates the internal pressure of the system,which is transmitted by the corrugated sheet; the space between bothskins is maintained by the corrugated sheet, and is filled with a gas atvery low pressure in order to serve for thermal insulation as well as topermit leak detection of either skin. Cables, heaters and sensors (as anexample thermo-couples, pressure-transducers, microphones) are locatedwithin that space between the envelopes providing continuously inputsfor supervision and control of operation of all the modules e.g., by thecomputer analysis of stochastic signals. In the case of probabilisticfailures, indicated quite early, an immediate replacement of the moduleby a new one from store can be arranged.

The light weight modules, as well as all other subsystems except themirrors, are produced on line, tested thereat and operated within thefactory in order to eliminate any assembling on site. As a consequence,total weight and dimensions due are reduced, permitting airtransportation. The mirrors are made from foils, which are cut, formedand prefabricated, also in a factory, in order to minimize installationsite including welding, foaming of structure, stressing foils by gaspressure and initially filling buoyant storages with H₂.

Finally, it has to be mentioned, that the storage of solar exergy isunderstood to be the long-termed target and presents the preferredexample of invention. However, the exergy transformer according to thisinvention can be coupled directly to nuclear fusion and/or breederreactors or to other heat sources, mirrors can be omitted in that case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing outand distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as theinvention, it is believed that the invention, the objects and featuresof the invention and further objects, features and advantages thereofwill be better understood from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 to 7 describe some details of the scientific basis of thisinvention, here in regard to the chemical process of exergy storage;

while the FIGS. 9 to 11 describe some details of the scientific basis ofinvention, here in regard to problems of physics of exergy storage;

FIGS. 12 to 39 include the principal informations in respect to theengineering design of the MHD-modules of the exergy transformer systemtotal, given by different sectional views and details of embodiments,whereby particularly longitudinal section views, in overlappingillustration, of FIGS. 24, 25, 27, 32, 36 and 38 show one module, andconcatenated FIGS. 21, 22, 27, 32, 36 and 38 show an alternative module.

FIG. 1 is a demonstrative illustration for comparing the biologicalexergy transformations with future technical exergy transformations onsolar basis due to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the exergy required for the synthesis ofhydrazine, subdivided into the steps formation of H₂, formation of amideand combination of amides to di-amide;

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the exergy required for the production ofhydrogen-peroxide, subdivided into the steps formation of H₂ andformation of hydrogen-peroxide;

FIG. 4 is an exergy-flux diagram of the isenthalpic-isobaric process inregard to the thermo-fluid-dynamic working fluid;

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the exergy required for the synthesis ofLi-amide from elements using a catalyst;

FIG. 6 is a graph in which free enthalpy for formation of alkali-amidesis plotted as a function of temperature;

FIG. 7 is a graph in which the free enthalpy of formation of bothhydrazine and hydrogen-peroxide is plotted in units of process steps;

FIG. 8 is a flow and function diagram for the complete process inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of practicing the invention ina system;

FIG. 9 explains the transmission of exergy during acceleration ofmulti-phase fluids in the system of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an exergy flux diagram of the isenthalpic-isobaric process inregard to the thermo-fluid-dynamic working fluid of the MHD-system ofthe exergy transformer in accordance with the system of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 presents the MHD-process of the exergy transformer in atemperature-entropy diagram;

FIGS. 12, 13 and 14 are drawings of details of the MHD-module presentingthe transverse and the longitudinal bulkheads or partitions;

FIG. 15 is a drawing of details of the MHD-module explaining theconstruction of the supporting skeleton;

FIGS. 16, 17, 18 show details presenting an additional type oftransverse bulkhead;

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal section view for explaining the principle ofmanteling the supporting skeleton of an MHD-module;

FIG. 20 is a sectional horizontal view of a manifold of MHD-modules;

FIG. 21 is a longitudinal section view of the compartments A through Dof a MHD-module using nuclear energy;

FIG. 22 is a continuation section of additional compartments of such amodule;

FIG. 23 is a cross-section along lines 23,23 in FIG. 22;

FIG. 24 is a longitudinal section view of the compartments A through Dof a MHD-module using solar energy;

FIG. 25 is a continuation of the section view of FIG. 24;

FIG. 26 is a cross-section along lines 26,26 in FIG. 25;

FIG. 27 is a sectional longitudinal view of the compartments F, G . . .L of the MHD-module and continuing either FIG. 22 or FIG. 26;

FIGS. 28, 29 and 30 are correspondingly labelled sections taken fromFIG. 27;

FIG. 31 is a drawing of details explaining the ring-shaped separatorwith a Coanda-lip for multi-phase flow in FIG. 26;

FIG. 32 is a longitudinal section view of the compartments M, N . . . Rof the MHD-module and continuing FIG. 27;

FIG. 33 and 34 are correspondingly indicated cross-sections in FIG. 32;

FIG. 35 is a drawing of details of FIG. 32 explaining a transfer mainsmade from stamped sheets welded together;

FIG. 36 is a longitudinal section view of the compartments Q, R . . . Uof the MHD-module and continuing FIG. 32;

FIG. 37 is a cross-section along lines 37,37 in FIG. 36;

FIG. 38 is a longitudinal section view of the compartments S, T . . . Yof the MHD-module and continuing FIG. 36;

FIG. 39 is a cross-section along lines 39,39 in FIG. 38;

FIG. 40 is a sectional radial view of a mirror made from foils andstabilized by pressure differences;

FIG. 41 is a sectional radial view of a different type of mirror; and

FIG. 42 is a flow chart and system diagram, similar to FIG. 8 butcombining hydrazone and peroxide synthesis in a single fluid flowsystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred example of the exergy transformer system is based onutilization of solar energy; the solar exergy is released by nuclearreactions on the sun, and stored in the form of free enthalpy of twometastable liquid compounds (NH₂)₂ and (OH)₂, bearing in mind that (OH)₂is generated only as a by-product of the generation of H₂ which isneeded for the (NH₂)₂ synthesis.

Both, the process of exergy transformation as well as the design of thetransformer system are determined by the physical quantities at theentrance or input and the exit or output of the transformer. Quantitiesat the entrance are the specific exergy of solar radiation spectrallydistributed as well as the flux density of radition; quantities at exitare the specific free enthalpies of the two compounds synthesized in thetransformer and the ratio of both mass flows, respectively of exergystored. The transformer yields additionally electrical energy over andabove the energy needed to maintain operation of the transformer system.

The specific process envisioned here particularly as far as thehydrazine synthesis is concerned, is to be seen in that hydrazine isformed by an electrolytic process specifically by forming (NH₂)₂ out ofLiNH₂. The energy needed to sustain that process is taken ultimatelyfrom the sun. The solar energy is used to obtain the production of thatelectrical energy needed to sustain the electrolysis using lithium as oras part of a circulating fluid system. The electrolysis will be producedwithin an MHD conversion process in which kinetic energy of a fluid isconverted into electrical energy, including the energy to obtain theelectrolysis.

The kinetic energy is the result of a two-phase process in which solarexergy absorbed by a liquid phase is transferred to an isothermallyexpanding gas as it accelerates the liquid phase, and the electrolysisis carried out in that liquid phase, while the movement of the liquidphase is used to generate the magnetic field causing the electric fieldin the liquid phase to sustain electrolysis therein. Liquid and gaseousphases complete separate but temporarily linked circulations, wherebythe liquid phase absorbs the solar energy, heats the expanding gaseousphase while being accelerated by it, serves as carrier for theelectrolysis and returns. The gaseous phase of the two-phase flow isalternated between low temperature compression and high temperatureexpansion with recuperative heat exchange inbetween.

Turning now to details of certain aspects of this basic process, thespecific exergy of radiation depends on its wave length; it iscontinuously distributed over the spectrum between the limits of aboutλ=0.8·10⁻⁶ m in the infrared and of about λ=0.3·10⁻⁶ m in theultraviolet. The specific exergy e_(s) of radiation, therefore, coversthe range of

    150<e.sub.s <400 kWs/mol

if related to the unit mol of particle quantities. This quantity iscalculated from the equation

    e.sub.s =N.sub.A ·hc/λ

with N_(A) =6.02·10²³ 1/mol (Avogadro's constant), h=6.63·10⁻³⁴ Ws²(Planck's constant), c=3·10⁸ m/s (speed of light). The fluxdensity q_(s)of radiation is defined to be the exergy, which passes through a surfaceunit, in normal direction within unit time, and is approximately,without taking into consideration any additional absorption in theatmosphere;

    q.sub.s =1,4 kW/m.sup.2

The process of synthesizing (NH₂)₂ and (OH)₂ can be explained, inprinciple, as being subdivided into the following step: ##STR1##

The steps 1.1 and 2.1 are similar and O₂ appears to be a rest product ofsynthesis 1 (though not to be produced directly), while H₂ is a restproduct of synthesis 2, which both can be combined according to step 2.2to hydrogen-peroxide. The two synthesis can be coupled in an overallexergy transformer system performing the following steps: ##STR2##

Herein, steps (1) and (2) are only listed separately, in reality freeoxygen is not produced. The FIGS. 2 and 3 present the change of freeenthalpy g of formation of (NH₂)₂ and H₂ +(OH)₂. Generally speaking, ifthe difference in enthalpie after and before the reaction is positive,the step is endergonic, because the reaction can take place only bysupply of exergy; exergy can be stored by this reaction, if the reactioncan be reversed. If the enthalpie difference is negative, however, thestep is exergonic, due to the release of exergy, and reaction takesplace spontaneously.

A brief estimate will clarify the principles of operation of the exergytransformation: the formation of H₂ according to step 1 of the coupledprocesses 1+2 needs the supply of specific exergy of at least 56.5kcal/mol=235 kWs/mol; the formation of hydrazine requires at least aspecific exergy of 630 kWs/mol. If the exergy of solar radiation wereused directly for a photosynthesis of these compounds, only theultraviolet radiation could be employed, while the remainder of solarspectrum could not be used; in addition, the different reactions neededin that case will be multiquanta processes.

The exergy conversion and transformation system as per this inventionabsorbs actually the total exergy of solar radiation it receives andtransfers it as heat to an inert gas (N₂). This gas is thethermo-fluid-dynamic working fluid, or tfd for short, of the MHD processand synthesis and is used thermodynamically to drive a liquid phasewhose resulting kinetic energy can be used in an MHD conversion processand which can sustain an electrolytic process due to interaction withthe magnetic field it generates.

In order to capture sufficient exergy by absorption, it is deemednecessary to increase the flux-density of solar radiation by a factor ofabout 1000, cooperating directly with an exergy absorbing surface at theentrance of the exergy transformer for the transfer of heat into thetransformer. Therefore, the input portion of the exergy transformer willinclude a focussing reflector, described by way of example withreference to FIGS. 40 and 41, see also FIG. 8.

I now proceed to describe certains aspects of the thermodynamicsinvolved here. The tfd-working fluid of the exergy transformer expandsisothermally to accelerate the liquid phase and imparts upon it theexpansion work as kinetic energy; by this the tfd working fluid performswork to overcome internal forces, and ultimately that work is used inthe electrolytic process, conceivably even for both electrolyticprocesses. Conversely the radiation as absorbed by the liquid phaseitself, prior to that acceleration will replenish continuously theenthalpy of the gas that was converted into work in the transformer. Asa result, the enthalpy available (i.e. exergy of enthalpy) will notchange during the expansion and will be constant even at the end ofexpansion. This enthalpic exergy must be withdrawn from the gas (tfdfluid), which has expanded, before the gas will be recompressed forcirculation within the transformer system, and transferred to the gaswhich is recompressed already. Therefore, this exergy transfer will beperformed by a recuperative heat exchange between the decompressed gasand entering the heat exchanger at the lower pressure p=p_(low), but atthe upper temperature T=T_(upper) of process, and the gas that hasalready been compressed again, and entering the heat exchanger (again)now at the higher upper pressure p=p_(upper), but at the lowertemperature T=T_(low).

The process of the thermo-fluid-dynamic working fluid is determined bythese two conditions for isenthalpic expansion as well as for theintroduction of recuperative heat exchange. FIG. 4 shows the exergy fluxdiagram of this process. The specific work of expansion-a_(exp),performed by the tfd gas with a mass flow rate m_(tfd), must be balanceby the heat flux supplied ##EQU1## The specific work is given by:##EQU2## π=p_(upper) /p_(low) (pressure ratio of process), R=8.3 Ws/molK (gas constant of N₂).

The specific work of compression is given by: ##EQU3## Compressionshould, therefore, take place at as low temperature T_(low) <T_(upper)as possible, in order to limit the work to be supplied, for thedifference of expansion- and compression work is the net useful workprovided by the process: ##EQU4## The requirement of recuperative heatexchange results in a limiting condition for the maximum of pressureratio, because the available energy of gas which has to be transferredwithin the heat exchanger, cannot exceed the net work of process:##EQU5## c_(p) "=39.1 Ws/mol K (specific heat at constant pressure ofN₂), κ=1.4 (adiabatic exponent of N₂)

As a result, the maximum pressure ratio π_(max) is: ##EQU6## Theefficiency η_(th) of this process is given by the Carnot-factor η_(C)(if internal and external exergy losses are not considered), the latterdepending on the temperature ratio T_(low) /T_(upper) exclusively:##EQU7## To give an example: for T_(upper) =750 K and for T_(low) =250 Kis according to equation (8) η_(th) =η_(c) =0.666. The maximum specificnet work is in this case according to (4) about 14 kWs/mol and is,therefore, lower by a factor of about 50 than that required for thedifferent steps of synthesis. The net work of the thermo-fluid-dynamicworking fluid will be converted ultimately into electrical energy, whichis obtained by the introduction of a second working fluid, namely theliquid phase being accelerated by the expansion of the tfd gas andserving also as a fluid dynamic medium (mfd #1) that performs mechanicalwork in that an MHD conversion process converts the kinetic energy ofthat mfd #1 fluid into the electrical energy needed for theelectrosynthesis. Moreover, the substance to be electrolyticallydecomposed must become a part of the liquidous phase of the MHD workingfluid, as will be discussed shortly.

The hydrazine (and peroxide) electrolysis requires a voltage of a fewvolts. Details of this MHD conversion process and the generation of thenecessary electrical energy will also be described below. Presently itshould be discussed what energy is actually needed for the electrolyticsynthesis of hydrazine and peroxide and what electrochemical reactionsare involved.

The specific work expended on an electric charge, after having traverseda voltage difference of n-volts is: ##EQU8## or, if one uses mols todefine particle quantities, that value a_(el). is given by n·N_(A)·e·v=100 kWs/mol. The work a is the one needed to obtain theelectrolytic process; n is the voltage that will in fact produce thatwork. The MHD process is designed to furnish that value n; it is but afew volts.

The electrosynthesis of (NH)₂ and (OH)₂ by means of the above mentionedfour steps depends on the fact that there is a similarity in structurein these two components, namely two groups or radicals areinterconnected, OH and NH₂ respectively. Moreover, the groups arechemically rather similar. In order to develop the desired reactions andthe means of obtaining them, the follow step by step analysis ishelpful.

The OH groups and the NH₂ groups both can be generated as negativelycharged ions in that specifically H₂ O as well as NH₃ molecules canappear as hydrogen donors as well as hydrogen acceptors in accordancewith the following two reactions, occurring of course in differentcarriers for solutions. ##EQU9##

Since the hydrogen transfer in both reactions is strongly endergonic,they are quite improbable. On the other hand, if a one-valued metal ispresent, e.g. K or Li these reactions become exergonic and appearspontaneous (with a probability of almost unity). ##EQU10##

In both cases, an electron transfers from the negative ion to thepositive ions i.e. from OH⁻ to K⁺ and from NH₂ ⁻ to Li⁺ ; respective twogroups will in fact combine into hydrogen peroxide (di-hydroxide) andhydrazine (di-amid) resp. This is possible because the OH⁻ groups aswell as the NH₂ ⁻ groups have a completed electron shell of eightelectrons. It is, therefore, merely necessary to provide for an electricfield by means of which this electron transfer can in fact be enforced.

It can thus be seen that only the combination of two neutral OH and NH₂groups leads again to a complete electron shell in either case due to aco-valent combination by means of an electron pair that is common toboth groups in a molecule. ##EQU11##

Both compounds are metastabil, thus exhibiting the tendency of givingoff H-atoms to revert to double compounds ##EQU12##

Since H₂ O is a raw material for the storage of exergy in the exergytransformer, the first two steps of the synthesis require theelectrolysis of H₂ O but without the usual decay of (OH)₂ by means ofcatalytic effect of impurities ##EQU13##

Both steps furnish the H₂ for the hydrazine synthesis (step 3+4 in theabove mentioned combined method).

Very significantly, the exergy transformer as per this invention avoidsthe step of using NH₃ as per relation 12b because LiNH₂ is used as anintermediate product which on the one hand can be decomposedelectrolytically and, on the other hand it can be synthesized directlyfrom the elements Li, N₂ and H₂ as the reaction is exergonic. This issignificant, as Li is used as mfd #1 fluid, and LiNH₂ can readily becomea part thereof. FIG. 5 shows the step 1 to generate catalyticallyLi-amid as an intermediate product. The exergy which is generated by thereaction if carried out at 300 K is quite high and that reaction cannotreally be used successfully for and as the last step in anelectrosynthesis running at such a low temperature. However, as shown inFIG. 6, the free enthalpie approaches zero for high temperatures atabout 900° Kelvin. Thus, the electrosynthesis of Li-amid should becarried out at these temperatures. The solar energy capturing process,therefore, should heat the components for that process to thattemperature which in turn becomes the upper temperature for theisenthalpic production of the necessary kinetic energy for the MHDprocess.

FIG. 7 shows a diagram for the entire process as far as the energyconsumption is concerned. The solar conversion and MHD conversionprocess run on solar energy produces a certain amount of electricalenergy. About 75% of that electrical exergy is stored by means of theelectrosynthesis of (OH)₂ and H₂, the remainder of the electrical exergy(25%) are used for the electrolysis in which (NH₂)₂ is made out ofLi-amid.

The solar exergy transformer system depicted in FIG. 8 has the followingprimary objectives:

1. Solar exergy is to be absorbed covering a continuous spectrum as wideas possible and amplifying the radiation flux density by a factor of,say, 1000.

2. Electrical energy is to be produced at two descrete voltages, each inthe order of a few volts, which actually increases the specific exergyof the radiation received.

3. H₂ O and N₂ is to be separated from air, essentially the cooling air,for use as primary raw material for the exergy storage on a materialexergy carrier.

4. (OH)₂ is to be synthesized electrically for both, storage of exergyand producing H₂ as a raw material for the hydrazine synthesis.

5. Electrosynthesis of (NH₂)₂ as solar exergy storing fuel, preceded bythe formation of Li-amid, using N₂ and H₂ as per process steps 3 and 4and using Li as an intermediary circulating carrier.

The flow diagram of FIG. 8 depicts and explains these functions of theexergy transformer and as a complete system. However, the main portionis contained in block 208 and provides for the synthesis of hydrazine asprinciple output with solar energy serving as input. Block 209 depictsthe formation of hydrogen peroxide as the preferred but not exclusivelyusable oxidizer for hydrazine. Moreover, auxiliary fluids are needed forand consumed in the process of forming hydrazine, namely nitrogen andhydrogen which can be produced as by-products in the formation ofhydrogen peroxide. Accordingly, block 209 depicts the auxiliary processfor providing for these additional materials, and the entire processneeds only air as material input (without the oxygen).

The block 208 contains basically three circulations, a first circulationfor a thermo fluid-dynamic work fluid or tfd fluid established basicallyby nitrogen. The second circulation is provided by the magnetofluid-dynamic work fluid or mfd fluid #1 which is established bylithium, mixed with LiNH₂ and always mixed with finely dispersedelectrically conductive substances such as iron. The third circulationcan be provided by a second mfd fluid, i.e., mfd fluid #2 which is asolution of Li and NH₃. Mfd fluid #2 provides primarily for cooling andcan be replaced. Details of block 208 will be described shortly.

Reference numeral 210 may denote intermediate storage of productswherein 202 refers specifically to storage for hydrazine made as perprocess block 208. 188 denotes the storage for hydrogen peroxide made inblock 209. Block 179 denotes water storage.

I now turn to the production of the raw products needed in the hydrazinesynthesis, namely H₂ and N₂. Block 209 denotes this process. It isassumed that the only "true" raw material to be used is air 175. The airis sucked into the process at 176, whereby excess electrical energygenerated at 199 pursuant to the hydrazine synthesis can be used to runthe blower.

Nitrogen is separated from air at 177 by known process (such as theEricson process) and passes to a nitrogen injection at 192 for theLi-amid generation. Moisture is separated from the air at 178 byprecipitation and injected at 181 in a flow of a mfd fluid #3circulating along a path 180 for an H₂ producing electrolytic process.Excess water as separated may be stored and/or discharged at 179.

Hydrogen is separated from circulation 180 at 182 i.e. it sucked out ofthe system for injection at a point 192 into the flow of mfd fluid #1 ofthe hydrazine synthesis process 208.

An MHD conversion process with hydrogen peroxide synthesis takes placeat 184 whereby electrical energy for the electrolytic process isfurnished by the solar MHD conversion system 208 via line 206. Theprocess 184 therefore, runs as MHD motor under electrolytic generationof H₂ and (OH)₂. The peroxide is extracted from the circulation at 185by evaporation (using e.g. excess heat from unit 208) and aftercondensation of the (OH)₂ will pass for storage to 186.

FIG. 8 is actually drawn for illustrating functional separation; thephysical H₂ separation i.e. the outflow of hydrogen as a gas from themfd #3 fluid occurs right in and from the converter 184, so that 182should actually be superimposed upon 184. The situation is different,however, as to (OH)₂. This peroxide is flushed out of the converter 184and rapid physical separation from the H₂ is essential, becauseotherwise (OH)₂ will separate again into H₂ O and O₂. The (OH)₂separation from the mfd #3 liquid at point 185 is carried out byevaporation.

The mfd fluid #3 with hydrogen passes through a prime mover 187 forsustaining the circulation (that may be a MHD pump) to complete thecirculation.

The fluid circulating through path 180 is a watery solution of potassiumhydroxide. The MHD motor 184 sets up a circular electric field in thatsolution. Specifically, the coil system in the converter 184 is excitedby electrical energy extracted from the hydrazine generator and solarenergy converter 208. The watery solution of KOH with finely dispersediron interacts with the field generated with a slip S>O as between phaseand liquid velocity to originate toroidal current which are ultimatelyinstrumental in the generation of the electrolysis. The Reynolds number(see definition below) is low due to the low electrical conductivity ofH₂ O and the interaction is rather weak.

The negative OH ions and positive potassium ions sustain the currentflow through the mfd liquid as a result of the electric field set up inKOH+H₂ O liquid as pumped through unit 184. Electron transfer results inthe generation of electrically neutral potassium as well as in theformation of (OH)₂. The metallic potassium combines with the water toform (i.e. to restore) KOH with the result of formation of H₂.

It should be noted, that the finely divided iron particles serve asprinciple electron conductors within the circular electric field set upin the liquidous mfd #3, so that throughout current conduction iscarried out predominantly by electron flow within the iron particles andthrough ion flow inbetween the particles bearing in mind that theexternal energization is an alternating field and the passing solutionof KOH, water and (OH)₂ will not undergo electron exchange with theelectrodes so that (OH)₂ will not separate again into H₂ and O₂.

The primary function of the exergy transformer 208 is to convertspecific exergy of the thermo fluid dynamic working medium (tfd) intoelectrical energy under utilization of the liquidousmagneto-fluid-dynamic work medium (mfd #1) which is basically aliquidous metal and which includes finely divided iron so as to assume acertain electric conductivity and ferromagnetic characteristics. Thissecond medium when moved in an external magnetic field interactstherewith electromagnetically by means of the so called Lorentz-force.These two media can additionally interact fluid mechanically byoperation of their viscosity, for one fluid drags the other. Togetherthey constitute the two phase MHD-work fluid wherein the tfd fluid isthe gaseous phase and the mfd #1 fluid is the non-gaseous (predominantlyliquidous) phase.

An MHD process operates as follows: the tfd work fluid (gas) performswork when expanding, that work is not expended against external forcesbut on the mfd #1 work medium. Rather than moving turbine blades,pistons or the like, work is expended on the basis of local imbalances,and specifically for the case of viscous interaction work is performedby one medium on the other by operation of speed differentials and bythe tendency to equalize such speed differentials as between the twomedia. The mfd work fluid works against external forces, but notmechanical ones with varying system boundaries; rather the acceleratedmfd #1 liquid works against a retarding, outer magnetic field (acrossrigid mechanical boundaries) which field in turn results from themovement of the electrically conductive liquid adjacent energizingcoils.

There is a certain lack in consistency in the known MHD processes,namely that the compressing work performed on the tfd gas is carried outby means of compressors having mechanically movable parts and systemboundaries. The novel process avoids this approach.

Proceeding now to details of the hydrazine synthesis as outlined in FIG.8, solar radiation 188 is collected by a reflector 189 and focussed forabsorption and heating at 191 of the mfd fluid #1 which is lithium mixedwith finely divided Fe and moves in a circulation flow path 190. Theheating process 191 may be carried out via a separate circulation ofsodium, the latter absorbing thermal energy more readily and heating thelithium to a temperature in excess of about 750° Kelvin. Nitrogen andhydrogen are injected into the mfd #1 fluid at 192 to obtain LiNH₂ in193 by catalytic reaction, the Fe particles serving as catalyst and at asufficiently high temperature. The functions 191, 192, and 193 arecarried out in compartments A to D of FIG. 24.

The tfd working fluid (gas--N₂) is mixed with the mfd #1 fluid at 195.The tfd gas circulates along a separate path 194, but the mfd fluid #1circulation as well as the tfd fluid circulation are temporarilycombined at that point 195. The tfd fluid is pressurized at that pointand upon mixing with the mfd fluid assumes its temperature, (compartmentG in FIG. 27).

The combined fluids constitute a two phase flow, whereby the mfd fluid#1 is predominantly the liquid phase and the tfd fluid is the gaseousphase. The gaseous phase is decompressed isothermally at 196 so that aportion of its enthalpie is converted into kinetic energy which in turnis imparted upon the droplets of the liquid mfd phase. The decompressedtfd fluid is separated from the mfd #1 fluid at 197, and the mfd #1fluid is focussed at 198. In reality, the focussing of the liquid phaseis part of the separation from the gaseous phase--tfd fluid, N₂(compartment J of FIG. 27). The focussed liquid continues as a freeflowing liquid jet riding on a gaseous cushion and being subjected to anMHD conversion process 199. In particular, the jet passes through aself-exciting coil-capacitor system, connected electrically analogous toan asynchronous motor with capacitor load for self-excitation. Theinteraction of the fast moving conductive-ferromagnetic jet with coilsproduces a travelling magnetic field and interaction of the latter withthe jet on the basis of the Maxwell equation curl E+B=0 produces anelectric field so that the LiNH₂ in the jet is subjected toelectrolysis. The iron particles serve as bipolar electrodes in theelectrolytic process which sustain a current flow in the liquidous jetas a whole. Any electrical energy not consumed in the electrolysis isexternally available at 206, 207, driving, for example, the MHDconverter 184 in which the water electrolysis takes place as outlinedabove.

Following the electrolysis the mfd #1 fluid is passed through anemergency jet spoiler 200 (jet shut off) and block 201 represents thehydrazine separation from the lithium, the residual LiNH₂ and the ironparticles. The liquid jet is captured and recompressed at 203 (diffusoraction), so that it can be returned via circulation 190 to the zone ofheating (191) completing the path for Li and Fe, including residualLiNH₂. Please note also here, that the functionally separated steps 200,201, 203 are realized in a combined structure (compartment M--FIG. 32).

The decompressed gaseous tfd fluid was separated from the two phase flowat 197 and passes through a recuperative heat exchanger 204 in which itgives off thermal exergy to the tfd gas as leaving an isothermalcompression stage 205. A recuperative heat exchanger is shown in FIG.32, Compartment O.

The cooled tfd fluid enters 205 and is mixed with a second mfd (or mfd#2) fluid at 211, to undergo heat exchange so that the subsequentcompression of the tfd fluid, box 212, is carried out under isenthalpicconditions (compartment Q in FIG. 32). The mfd #2 fluid is condensed at213 and separated from the tfd fluid (N₂) at 214 from which it isreturned to the recuperative heat exchanger to receive thermal energyfrom the tfd fluid before the latter is recompressed. The pressurizedand reheated tfd fluid is now returned to point 195 for mixing with themfd fluid. About 10% of the pressure is needed to sustain the returnflow of the tfd gas to the mixing point 195.

The mfd #2 fluid following separation from the tfd fluid is returned tomixing point 211. The condensation of the mfd #2 fluid as per functionbox 213 is actually part of the separation of function box 214 as far asimplementation is concerned (compartment R in FIG. 36). The condensationis the result of heat exchange with a fluid in function box 213circulating along path 217. That heat exchange fluid is cooled byambient air (box 215), whose flow is indicated by 216.

FIG. 8 demonstrates the central position of the tfd work fluid and theinteraction of it with the two fluids mfd #1 and mfd #2. Theseinteractions are limited in time and space and concern exclusivelyisothermic and isenthalpic processes. One is the isothermicdecompression of the tfd fluid in 196 under acceleration of the mfd #1liquid and carried out at the upper working temperature T=T_(u), theother process is the isothermic compression in 212 at the lower workingtemperature, T=T_(low), with mfd #2 serving as coolant, while being atleast in parts caused to circulate by the decelerating tfd gas as it isbeing compressed.

The gaseous tfd work medium circulates through the system withoutreceiving or expending any work via movable system boundaries. Bothliquidous media, mfd #1 and mfd #2 are driven by means of draggingforces exerted by the tfd gas upon the two liquids whenever being mixedor combined therewith. The tfd gas does not have any access to any heatexchange with the environment, except through the mfd #1 and #2 fluids.

The interaction between the tfd gas and the two mfd fluids (liquids) ispredominantly but not exclusively based on viscosity. Rather, ageneralized thermodynamic force is effective being in the nature of atemperature difference between the tfd gas and either of the mfdliquids. This temperature differential enforces the heat flow neededrespectively for isenthalpic decompression and compression.

In particular, the mfd fluids both serve additionally as heat transferand storage media. The mfd #1 liquid stores solar energy and heats thetfd gas upon mixing and during decompression thereof. The mfd #2 fluidensures low temperature isothermic recompression of the tfd gas. Thisfunction dominates as to mfd #2, a MHD pump keeps only the circulationgoing for that liquid. The mass flow is lower by about a factor of 50 ascompared with mfd #1 due to evaporative cooling of that mfd #2 fluid.

As a consequence, the technical system does not only have rigid systemboundary but the size of the system boundaries have no influence on theprocess and work performed by the tfd work medium. In either case, tfdand mfd fluids mix almost homogenially so that very large surface areasare available for the heat transfer, and the average depth of heatpenetration is very very small, so that this transfer occurs almostinstantaneously on contact and mixing of the fluids.

As stated above, mfd #1 is a solution of Li and LiNH₂, the latter beingin effect an intermediate product for the synthesis of (NH₂)₂ from N₂and H₂. The heat capacity and thermal conductivity of this solution(which includes some iron particles), permits full utilization of theconcentration of solar flux density by means of reflector 189 up to 125W/cm². The mfd #2 fluid is fully analogous thereto and tuned to a loweroperating temperature of, in cases, T_(v) =250 K. It is a solution of Liand HNH₂ having a high electric conductivity even at such lowtemperatures. Moreover, an LiNH₂ residue (from mfd 190 1) that may havebeen carried over by the tfd gas to the mfd 190 2 liquid, can go intosolution to permit chemical regeneration, recovery and return to the mfd#1 fluid. Mg and Ca are suitable reactants to separate the LiNH₂ fromthe mfd #2 fluid.

Before describing construction and layout of the MHD system 208 ingreater detail, I refer to an important feature of this system, namelythe reflector which is used for focussing the solar radiation. Theradiation density must be increased by about a factor of 1000. A rigidreflector may prove to be impractical and expensive. Moreover, it isadvisable to provide a reflector which is in fact buyontly supported.Such a feature facilitates the orientation of the mirror includingfollowing the sun and a buyont construction may even permit the mirrorwith centrally disposed MHD transformation unit to be positioned at somedistance from ground.

FIG. 40 shows a modular MHD system (=208), shown as an elongated tube27. One of the units shown in detail in FIGS. 24 through 39 may becontained in or constitute module 27, or a cluster thereof will bearranged as shown in FIG. 21 and may be contained in unit 27. The frontportion of each such module (compartments A to D of FIG. 24, or portion191 of FIG. 1) is contained in the focus 127 established either by theexposed outer skins 15 of the modules or by a "black" absorber coveringthat skin. The modules or tube 27 is held via tube 126 for support andprotection. Reference numeral 128 refers to the air gaps through whichair can enter into heat exchange at the low temperature side of themodules (see compartments S through Y, FIG. 38).

The reflector is established by a reflecting foil 115 which constitutesthe inner surface of the concave mirror as well as the top foil of abuoyoncy support structure. The periphery of the reflector isestablished by a hollow toroidal bead, hose or tube 108 with a diameterof 200 meter of the annulus and 30 m diameter of the circularcross-section of the toroid. Tube 108 is filled with hydrogen 109 forestablishing the main buoyoncy. Tube 108 is strengthened on the insideby a chamber 110 filled with H₂ under higher pressure. Welding seam 113,between the wall of chamber 110 and tube 108 serves as anchoring pointsor line for the outer ends of support arms 114. A seam 112 is theboundary and connect point between mirror foil 115 and hose or bead 108.

Support arms 114 are pivotally mounted on a central support tube 117 bymeans of pivot joints 116. A second joint 118 of each arm is provided inabout the middle thereof and is connected to a bottom foil 124 whichconnects also to joint 113. Arms 114 center the bead and are tensionedby cable 119.

A welding seam or connecting line 120 fastens the coil 115 to anannulus, ring or sleeve 122, a foil 121 is also fastened thereat.Annulus 122 is slidable positioned on tube 117 and can be moved up anddown e.g. by means of a suitable drive and positioner for adjusting thereflector 115 in relation to the outer tube 108.

In order to compell reflector foil 115 to assume the desired contour(parabolic), foils 115, 121 and 124 together constitute a cushion andpneumatically elastic backing 123 for the reflector foil. Theconnections 116, 118 and 113 support this cushion 123. Relatively lowpressure therein sucks the foil 115 towards the inside. Points 120, 116,118, 113 and 112 are all fixed position points in relation to which thefoils curve inwardly.

As stated, central pipe 117 holds the MHD system 27 in a holder 126. Theair exit and thermodynamic low temperature of the MHD system isestablished through air conduction through slots 128 of central pipe117. Pipe 117 is placed into a pipe 129 to which one can connect theseveral inlet and outlet ducts for the fluids needed to operate thegenerator, e.g. water and/or hydrogen, while hydrazine is dischargedtherethrough.

The connection between 117 and 129 is a releasible one, so that themirror can be collapsed and for example replaced by a different one, incase of damage and for repair or replacement. Bolts 130 permit therelease. In order to orient the reflector towards the sun, tube 129 hasa bellow like section 131 interposed. Spindles 132 bias the bellowsaxially but to a different extent thereby causing the entire assembly totilt.

The reflector assembly including annulus 122 will be placed in positionover the pipe 129, but central pipe 117 (to which the joint 116 andlower foil 114 is fastened) is inserted into and secured to pipe 129 bymeans of the bolts 130. Next, tube 108 is inflated by introducing H₂whereby the arms 114 are unfolded and the cushion 123 is deployed. Thefinal contour of reflector foil 115 is established by means of adjustingring 122.

FIG. 41 shows another version of the reflector construction which isactually preferred. Features common to both assemblies have beenomitted. The difference arises from utilizing a smaller tube or hose 133while a tensioning cushion 135 rather than the cable 119 of FIG. 40 areprovided. Thus, one does not need mechanical operation of such cable.

The cushion 123 is deployed by inflating cushion 135 through injectionof hydrogen 111. Since that cushion adds buyoncy, bead-hose 133 can bemade smaller indeed. The tensioning cushion 135 is established on itsupper side by lower foil 124 of the reflector cushion, while a tensionedfoil 137 forms the lower side of cushion 135. Foil 137 is connected totube 133 along a joint-seam 136. Cushion 135 is stabilized additionallyby a compartment 134, and as to central pipe 117 the connection to foils124 and 121 is made thereat. Pivot joints 118 are still needed in arms114; the latter run through the inside of cushion 135 and are protectedby the H₂ therein.

After having described the reflector in which the MHD unit or units asmounted, I proceed to the description of construction details of the MHDmodules. A unit 208 as per the system and method diagram of FIG. 8 isdesigned to be for elongated construction. Such an MHD unit should beamenable to mass production and easy to transport; light weightconstruction is preferred. Thus, the essential structure parts of a MHDunit constitutes similar pipes, tubes, and preshaped and punched sheetsof about 3.0 mm gauge or less to be interconnected by welding.

An MHD unit has uniformly hexagonal cross-section throughout itsextension (see FIGS. 22 et seq, particularly the severalcross-sections). This way, they can be clustered in honeycomb fashion(FIG. 20) to permit parallel operation of many units.

Each MHD unit is, as far as construction is concerned, comprised of asupporting frame; the specific components for the MHD generator propernot being part of that frame; and an outer skin structure with as smalla leakage rate as possible. If the MHD unit is not run on solar energy,nuclear fission and breeder materials must be included.

The frame is the basic support structure into which are reacted allforces that are not transmitted to the outside or act from the outsideonto the unit. The support frame is set up by six parallel tubes 8 andby partitioning and stiffening sheets traversed by and secured to thesetubes. A central, but sectionalized tubing 7 traverses these sheets andconstitutes also a part of the support frame. The skin structure issecured to the partitions.

FIG. 12 shows a first partition 1 which is more in the nature of asubframe having a central sleeve 1x (opening 4) surrounded by six smallsleeves 1y (opening 3) and held by struts 1z, while bars 1w provide foran outer hexagonal frame. This construction is provided primarily fortransmission of forces. The length (transverse to the plane of thedrawing) can be variable. This subframe 1 provides for maximum freecross-section of flow in axial direction.

FIGS. 13 and 14 show a transverse partition 2 with a central opening 4,peripheral openings 3, and, optional, openings 5. The openings 3 receivetubes 8 (FIG. 15) and opening 4 may receive sections of the centraltubing 7. If such tubings are inserted, a partition 2 provides for atrue dividing partition as to the space outside of tubing 17 and aroundinserted tubes 8. The edges 6 of sheet-partition 2 are flanged and theopenings may be beaded to obtain stiffening and to serve as weldingflange.

FIG. 15 shows by way of example a plurality of partitions 2 and centraltubing 7 while being also traversed by the tubes 8. In addition, thisFigure shows a small pipe or tube 9 (traversing an opening 5) serving asauxiliary fluid duct without, however, constituting a portion of thebasic support frame. For this, partitions 2 are either seated on andwelded to tubing 7 or partitions 2 receive and hold the light tubes 8,or both as shown in the central portion of the Figure. The Figure showsalso that a partition sheet 2 when not on a tube 7 permits flow of thesame medium in the central area or zone (not occupied by tube 7) as wellas in the zone around the pipes 8. Reference numeral 10 denotes weldingseams.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show a modification of the partitions to be used inthose cases where the MHD unit is to be partitioned beyond the innerskin so that the radial dimensions of this end wall 11 are enlarged.FIG. 18 shows a plug element 12 for closing any of the openings thatreceive tubes 8, or the tubes themselves, are to be closed andpartitioned. These plugs are also welded and their cap likeconfiguration permits placement of sensors and/or adjustment andactuating equipment.

FIG. 19 shows by way of example placement of such plugs as well as theenveloping of the frame by a double skin. The inner skin 13 is made ofsheet metal which is corrosion-proof as regards contact with the severalmaterials e.g. lithium, particularly for the quite elevated temperaturesthat will occur. This inner skin is stiffened by means of welded-oncorrugated sheet material 14 which transmits also any forces to theouter skin 15 seated thereon. The gap between skins 13 and 15 is denoted20 and performs important functions to be described shortly.

The inner skin 13 is, so to speak, continued at the one ends by apartition 2 and also inwardly, wherever compartmentalization of theinterior space, outside of tubes 8 is desired; the partitions are weldedto the skin at flanges 6. The welding seam will be removed if the innerskin has to be removed for access to the interior thereof. The same orother skin material is welded on, following e.g. repair, replacement orthe like. The caps 12 close out openings 3. The other partitions 2, notserving as true space dividers for compartmentalization need not to bewelded to the skin 13.

The outer skin 15 is loosely seated on the corrugated sheathing 14, thelatter being welded only to skin 13. The outer skin is axiallyterminated by connection to a (larger) partition or axial end wall 11.The respective welding seam 17 is also removable and restorable foraccess and its openings 3 are also plugged by caps 12.

The central tubing 17 can be closed e.g. by means of a cylindrical plug18. This plug 18 carries a ball 19 at its end, serving e.g. assuspension element, for adjustment particularly when the unit iscombined with others, and as storage space.

A module as such is identified by numeral 27. FIG. 20 shows a pluralityof such units in honeycomb assembly. One of them is shown incross-section next to a partition 2. One can see inner and outer skins13, 15 as well as the corrugated stiffening 14. Specifically, each ofthe skins is made from three segments such as 22, 23 which are weldedtogether. The welding flange 24 of the inner skin 13 projects into theaxial gap 20. Flange 24 is intrumental in adjusting the disposition ofouter skin 15 as well as for mounting control and sensor lines orheating cable 26. These lines and cable run to the several caps 12. Thewelding flange 25 of outer skin 15 is shown in inward extension butcould project outwardly. In the case of butt welding, no such flange isneeded.

The gap 20 between the two skins as well as the space 21 at one frontend serve for enhancing reliability of the system. For example, space 21may be held under low pressure which can be monitored and supervised todetect any leakage. Space 21 communicates with gap 20. In parts the gapwill serve as duct for circulating a heat exchange medium, such asliguidous metal. If the unit is run on nuclear energy with fission andbreeding sustained inside of the unit, gap 20 serves as thermalinsulator.

As stated, the basic elements for the construction of the supportingframe are sheets, used for its transversal stabilization, and tubes. Indetail, there are sheets, extended in longitudinal direction, thusforming longitudinal partitions or subframes 1 as well as sheetsextended in vertical direction, thus forming vertical or transversepartitions 2; there are, in addition, the central tube 7, the tubes 8 ofsmaller diameter located outside of the central tube as well as thesmall tubes 9 of lowest diameter used for internal connecting piping.

All these elements are also used to construct the main components of theMHD-module, enclosed the various compartments F, G, H . . . S and T, U,V . . . X, Y, infra, and connected with the supporting frame andconstruction as described. As a rule for supporting frame, it is a rulealso for the components, that only punched, deformed (shaped) andflanged sheets are used but major lathe work is not required; the aim isto permit the one-line production of MHD-modules with a very high outputcapacity.

The MHD-converter, however, is the one exception from this rule; forthis component coils have to be wound, stator blocks to be assembled andcoils must be insulated as well as inserted into the stator blocks. TheMHD-converter, however, is installed as a single unit in a central tube(7) section and can thus be removed or replaced easily in case of modulereplacement, which might be necessary when the permissible number ofoperations hours was reached (due to corrosion, for example). Thiscentral, MDH converter can be reused in the same way nuclear fuel pinsor the MHD-working fluid, composed from both the tfd- and mfd-workingfluids, can be reused in another module.

The first step of production is the construction of the supportingframe, while the second step consists in the leak detection of theskeleton; in the third step, therefore, the various components have tobe fixed and are connected with the supporting frame. It is a usefulapproach to assemble the modules on turntable which in turn is mountedon a carriage. Normally the module is positioned horizontally on thatcarriage; in the fourth step, however, when the module is jacketed bymeans of the inner skin, the module on the turntable should be shiftedinto an upright position. This upright position is needed also for thefifth step of production including leak detection of inner skin, fixingof sensors, cables and heaters. During the sixth step, when the outerskin has to be attached, the horizontal position is preferred. (This carfor module assembling is not shown in any drawing).

FIGS. 21, 22 and 23 show the entrance section (in regard to the exergy)for an MHD-module with an internal nuclear power reactor as heat source.The space between any two adjacent partitions of the supporting frame ofthe skeleton construction, is named a compartment, and thesecompartments are respectively identified by A, B, C . . . . Nuclear fuelelements 28 as provided in the form of the well known fuel pins or rodsare located inside of a central tube 7 of the skeleton and supportedtherein in the usual way by means of a grid 29. The breeding material 30is located outside of the central tubing 7 within the compartments A, B,C and D thus forming the blanket, fixed at the partitions 2.

The coolant, which is at the same time the mfd-working fluid, passesfirst through the blanket 30 and will be reversed in its flow directionwhile entering slots 32 in the central tube 7 and flows along the fuelpins 28 thus passing through the grid 29. For radiation shielding inaxial direction a neutron absorber 33 forming layers of small pebblesand preferably being flooded by the coolant, is located within a largeplug 18 as well as in the central tube 7 and in the free space betweenthe external tubes 8 in compartments E and F.

The gap 20 and the cavity 21 covering over the entire length ofcompartments, are filled with a protective gas of low pressure forthermal insulation. The outer skin 15 is discontinued within thecompartment E and substituted by a relatively short segment 42 of theinner skin. Both of the welding seams 43 can be removed easily in orderto facilitate any partial dismanteling of the module, especially forpurposes of replacement of the nuclear material. The compartment E is,for this reason, subdivided in a nuclear and a non-nuclearhalf-compartment by the additional partition 2, serving for a distinctreliability control. Details concerning the circulation of the mfd fluidwill be discussed shortly when explaining the preferred embodiment.

FIGS. 24, 25 and 26 shows the, in the alternative, input part of anMHD-module wherein energy input is provided from an external heatsource, such as, in this preferred example, from the sun. The gap 20between outer skin 15 and inner skin 13 is, therefore, used in daytimefor the transmission of heat from the outer skin. Skin 15 is directlyexposed to solar radiation 35 over the entire length of compartments A,B, C and D, and absorbs the radiation. The gap 20 adjacent compartmentsA to D is filled by a circulating heat exchange medium such as aliquidous alkali metal, e.g. sodium which is heated through directcontact with the outer skin and heats the inner skin 13, which in turnis in direct contact with the non-gaseous phase of the mfd-working fluidcomposed from Li, Li(NH₂) and Fe-particles. At nighttime, gap 20 has toprovide the thermal insulation.

In the daytime, the circulation of the mfd-working fluid for purposes ofheat exchange and receiving solar energy is as follows. The non-gaseousphase of the mfd-working fluid 31 returns from its magnetohydrodynamicwork functions and arrives at compartment D through tubes 8a, 8c and 8e,after having traversed compartments M, L, K etc. The fluid leaves thethree tubes 8a, c and e at compartment D and enters the free spacebetween the central tube 7 and the axial, inner skin 13 in order toundergo heat exchange with an alkali metal such as sodium whichcirculates in gap 20 between skins 13, 15. The circulating sodiumabsorbs solar energy, or, more accurately is heated by the outer skinwhich has absorbed the solar radiation 35 adjacent to compartments D, C,B and A.

The mfd-fluid coolant then enters the central tube 7 via the slots 32,and the central tubes guide the fluid through tube 7 towards compartmentG and to further components of the MHD-module located in thecompartments G, H . . . . At night, the central tube 7 is the main heatreservoir of the module as far as the mfd-fluid is concerned.

As one can see from compartment D in FIG. 25, the space outside of tube7 is closed by one of the partitions 2, and that space receives mfdfluid through the exits of tubes 8a, c, e as stated. The chamber to theright of the partition 2 separating compartments D and E is filled withsodium 16. The same is true with regard to the space or chamber aroundcentral tube 7 in compartment F, denoted 39 and being separated on bothsides (i.e. from compartments E and G) by means of partitions 2. Tubes8b, d, f transport the sodium between these chambers in compartments Eand F outside of central tube 7.

The sodium enters the gap 20 of compartments A through D through slots40 in tubes 8b, d, f in compartment E and through an annular slot 20a inskin 13 in the same compartment. The sodium advances all the way to theleft of the lefthand partition 2 of compartment A to fill space 21. Thisway, sodium surrounds the mfd fluid in compartments A through D fortransferring absorbed solar energy to that mfd fluid. It should bementioned that chamber 39 (space around 7) is filled predominantly withpressurized N₂ during daytime to force the sodium in the chamber incompartments E and F into the gap 20 of compartments A to D.

During daytime operation, the righthand portion of compartment E i.e.the chamber around tube 7 and to the right of the central partition 2 ofthat compartment as well as to the left of the partition 2 separatingcompartments E and F is under vacuum (or low pressure N₂). The same istrue always with regard to the portion of gap 20 adjacent tocompartments F, G, H etc., for purposes of thermal insulation of thesecompartments. The purpose thereof will be described shortly.

As can be seen from FIGS. 24 and 25, a helical tube 34 loops around tube7, traversing the space occupied in the other compartments by tubes 8(the latter terminate adjacent the dividing line between compartments Dand E). This tube 34 has small lateral openings to disperse a mixture ofN₂ and H₂ into the mfd-fluid within the annular space between skin 13and tubing 7. As stated above, this liquid is composed of Fe, Li andLi(NH₂). The Li(NH₂) content thereof has been lowered (and the Licontent has been increased) by process to be described as that fluidreturns to compartments A to D via tubes 8a, c, e.

The solar-heated lithium reacts with the N₂ and H₂ as supplied via tube34 and as dispersed into the fluid to form Li(NH₂) under catalyticreaction, using the dispersed Fe particles as catalyst. The chemicalprocess has been described above, presently I describe the physical setup as to how to obtain that reaction. Tube 34 actually ends incompartment A, it enters compartment E as straight tube of smalldimensions and is run to that point as straight tube from compartment S,traversing all the compartments inbetween. The connection of tube 34 toexternal supply for N₂ and H₂ (see FIG. 8) is made at that compartmentS.

At night, due to the lack of solar radiation, the gap 20 at compartmentsA to D has to be emptied from the liquid metal (sodium) for obtainingthermal insulation of these compartments. In this preferred examplegiven here, flooding of the gap 20 with a liquid metal and emptyingtakes place automatically by making use of the ball-shaped reservoir 19.During daytime, ball 19 is also exposed to solar radiation pressurizingthe protective gas 37 (N₂) therein. The reservoir 19 is connected by athin pipe 38 with the reservoir 39 for the heat exchange liquid metal 36(sodium) located at compartment F. In case the gas pressure in reservoir19 decreases due to lack of radiation heating, the gas contracts andsucks the liquid metal 36 out of gap 20, through the slots 40 within thethree tubes 8 b, d, f of compartments E, F and will enter the reservoirin compartment F. Both, the three tubes 8 as well as the space 39 ofcompartment F are hermetically separated from the other compartments andfrom the corresponding parts of tube 8, respectively, by welding thepartitions to the inner skin 13. Additionally, plugs 41 are insertedinto the three tubes 8 d, d, f in the level of the righthand partition2, separating compartment F from compartment G. These plugs permitutilization of pipes 8b, d, f to the right as conduits for other fluid(namely, high pressure N₂).

It should be mentioned, that upon emptying space 21 and gap 20 adjacentto compartments A to D from sodium, an insulative gas may be used asreplacement. Also, some of the openings 40, either those in E or thosein F may be closed by means of valves to confine the sodium to chamber39 in compartment F.

The gap 20 surrounding compartments F, G, etc. is always used forthermal insulation, and, therefore, filled with a very low pressureprotective gas; this section of gap 20 is separated from the gap 20 atcompartments A through D by the additional (central) partition 2 incompartment E. The respective subcompartments around tube 7 communicateseparately with these gap 20 portions respectively, to the left and tothe right of compartment E. The outer skin 15 is interrupted here butthere still is present a short segment 42 of the inner skin isolatingthe annular gap 20a and 20b from the two chambers of compartment E intothe portions of gap 20 to the left and to the right. The welding seamsthereat can be removed easily to permit partial dismanteling of themodule when needed.

The FIGS. 27, 28, 29 and 30 show the compartments F through L ascontinuing compartments A, B . . . F. Compartments F and G, shown againin FIG. 27 and to be taken in conjunction with FIG. 28, depicts theconnection, so to speak of two major components. The one major componentis the solar energy absorber, mfd fluid heater and Li(NH₂) synthesizeras established by compartments A through F and as described in thepreceding paragraphs. The other major component is the two phase fluidportion of the system as continued in the MHD device. The linkagebetween these major components is as follows:

The partition 2 separating the space around tube 7 and of compartment Ffrom the analogous space of compartment G, separates therewith thesodium reservoir 39 from space occupied by low pressure N₂ (compartmentG). That N₂ is separated from the N₂ supply through tube 34 and is alsoseparated from gas 37 of reservoir 19. In fact, the N₂ in chamber G isthe decompressed gaseous phase of the MHD working fluid. FIG. 25 showsonly the continuation of tubes 8 in compartment G; plugs 41 in pipes 8b,d, f prevent flow of sodium into compartment G; the same pipes willreceive high pressure N₂ (tfd) arriving in compartment G from chamber R.Pipes 8a, c, e continue to pass mfd fluid (Li, Fe and some Li(NH₂))towards compartments D just traversing compartments F, G, H etc. ontheir return path from compartment M. Compartment G in FIG. 25 showsthese pipes only, additional equipment for that compartment is shown inFIG. 27.

Central tube 7 feeds hot mfd fluid, enriched with Li(NH₂) into the endof compartment F. Tube 7 is interrupted in compartments G and F, andparticularly closed off by an axial end partition 7a traversed only bythree inlet pipes 44a for three mixing chambers 44 being provided formixing the tfd- and mfd-working fluids. Specifically, chambers 44combine hot, Li(NH₂) enriched mfd fluid from tube 7 with pressurized tfdfluid N₂ arriving in tubes 8b, 8d and 8f (to the right of plugs 41 inthe dividing plane between compartments F and G). The mixing chambersintercept these tubes; the sodium flow in these tubes is blocked off bythese plugs 41.

Each chamber 44 has two nozzles, there being six nozzles 45 accordingly;only one of the nozzles 45 is shown in FIGS. 27 and 29 for the sake ofclarity; the others are disposed in corresponding positions. The nozzles45 are provided inbetween respective adjacent tube 8; the mixingchambers intercept them as stated above.

These mixing chambers are of course respectively connected to tubes 8b,d, f to receive high pressure tfd gas N₂. They are partitioned and thepartition runs right in the plane of the section view of FIG. 28.Pressurized tfd gas (N₂) enters the portion of the mixing chambers tothe right of that partition while hot mfd #1 liquid is to the left ofthat partition. Small tubes traverse the partition as well as thechamber portion to the right thereof and run the hot mfd #1 liquid rightto the entrance of nozzles 45 (two per mixing chamber). The pressurizedtfd gas flows directly to the nozzle entrances. The tubes 8a, c, e justpass through the chambers 44 without connection as return of the mfdliquid towards compartment D.

The nozzles 45 provide for the acceleration of both of the two workingfluids as they mix in the entrance of the nozzles and beyond. Asoutlined above, the pressurized tfd fluid (gas) is heated upon beingmixed with enriched mfd fluid and expands isenthalpic in nozzles 45thereby accelerating the mfd fluid (see equations (1) and (2), supra).The mfd liquid is broken up into droplets, being hurled towards andthrough compartment H, in which two working fluids are decoupled. As aconsequence, the entire space of compartments G, H and I inside of skin13, but with the exceptions of tubes 8, is filled with depressurized N₂.This depressurized N₂ follows then generally (arrow 47) a flow pathalong tubes 8 and on the outside of the continuation of tube 7 whichcontains the MHD generator in compartments J, K, L and M. The liquidphase of the mfd fluid is ejected by the nozzles 45 towards the entrancefor the MHD generator in compartment J for being focussed therein toestablish a free flowing jet. The kinetic energy of that jet has, ofcourse, resulted from acceleration by the isothermally decompressing tfdfluid in nozzles 45. In the MHD generator the kinetic energy of the mfdfluid jet is converted into electrical energy causing the jet todecelerate.

As already mentioned, the MHD-converter proper is installed in a segmentof central tube 7. This segment is connected to a longitudinal partition1, being a part of the supporting skeleton so as to transmit the largeforces from the free jet, due to its deceleration, to the tubes 8 of thesystem. The central tubing 7 is also used to separate the MHD-converterproper in regard to the tfd-working fluid 47, which flows along thecentral tube 7, on its outside, after expansion and upon separation fromthe mfd-working fluid 31.

It should be mentioned, that the magnetic focussing affects the liquidphase only (Li--Li(NH₂)--Fe) and is appropriately effective in front ofthe entrance to the MHD generator. The gaseous phase (N₂) upon leavingnozzles 45 experiences a sudden enlargement in cross-section and loosesmomentum. Sheets (not shown) in compartment N could provide for diffusoreffect to slow the flow of tfd-gas. Moreover, this N₂ is not affected bythe focussing. Hence, the N₂ will be separated from the liquid phase incompartments H and J by the dynamics of the process generally, and byfocussing of the liquid phase in particular. The nozzles 45 directgenerally the flow of fluid towards a focal point 52, but the gaseousphase separates while the liquid droplets are guided towards that focalpoint. For this, a separator 57 and Coanda lip 58 is disposed ahead ofthe MHD entrance enhancing fluid-mechanically the coagulation of theliquid droplets as well as focussing thereof; the gaseous phase flowsalong a different path. Specifically, liquid droplets in the two phasestream hitting separator 57 on the inside form a film on the innersurface. The six jets are in fact combined and the common film continuesalong the outside of Coanda lip 58 with a radial inward component forleaving the lip as a hollow jet lamina which becomes a "solid" core jeton focussing by the magnetic coils in the MHD device. The hollow coreand converging film collects liquid droplets still inside while theresidual gaseous phase is squeezed out.

The segment of central tube 7 housing the MHD-converter proper, isdeformed conically in compartment J to establish the converter entrance.The MHD-converter includes stator blocks 48, and ring-shaped or annularcoils 49 are disposed for magnetizing this stator core. Specifically,the stator blocks are of comb construction being arranged along thecenter axis, around that axis whereby the teeth of the combs pointradially inwardly. The coils 49 are annular coils arranged in the gapsbetween the teeth, looping around the center axis. The coils are forexample interconnected analogous to a three phase asynchronous machine,the connection pattern being repeated along the axis so that uponenergization a travelling wave is produced with a flux vector dB/dt inand along the center axis, coinciding with the axis of the jet of mfd-1fluid.

The inner diameter of the comb-coil structure increases in the axialdirection jet flow and the axial spacing between comb teeth decrease inthat direction. The arrangement operates at constant frequency, but thejet looses kinetic energy and widens to some extent. As stated above,the stator coils are connected to capacitors to obtain a self-excitingoscillating system tuned to the desired frequency of the travelling waveproduced (e.g. 2.5 Khz). Since the machine operates as generator,electrical energy can be taken from the coils e.g. to run the H₂electrolysis (see FIG. 8). Additionally, the jet functions analogous toa short circuited rotor and consumes electrical exergy in theelectrolysis for splitting Li(NH₂) into Li and NH₂.

A particular coil 50 is disposed right at the entrance and is separatelyenergized. Coil 50 energizes particularly pole-shoes 51 for magneticallyfocussing the the liquid phase in the focus 52 on the central axis ofthe module. The magnetic field at the entrance and as set up by the coil50 and pole shoes 51 is strongly inhomogenous but of radial symmetry tocause the droplets to converge towards the center axis. The magneticfield is that of a magnetic lens and induction causes a magnetic fieldto be set up in the droplets forcing them in direction of decreasingfield strength to obtain a compact jet. Any residual gas is forced outof the jet. It should be noted that magnetic focussing and Coanda lipmutually reinforce the focussing. Actually, either device may suffice byitself in principle.

A central, axial duct 53 is formed by the annular arrangement of statorblocks which duct is enlarged in diameter downstream; the duct is sealedhermetically and physically established by a thin walled tube 54, whichshould have very low electrical conductivity. Tube 54 thus separates thejet from the stator blocks 48, and coils 49 and 50.

The free space 55 between stator blocks and coils or, to put itdifferently, the annular space between tube 7 of the MHD generator andtube 54 is filled with a coolant, preferably N₂, bypassed from thetfd-working fluid after its isothermal compression; the piping necessaryis not shown here. This particular coolant leaves the coil space of theMHD-converter at elevated temperature through the slots 56 and poursinto the duct 53, along the inner wall of tube 54, between it and thefree jet of mfd liquid. Thus, the free compact jet of the mfd-workingfluid is guided and held apart from the wall of tube 54 by a residualfraction of the tfd-working fluid to serve as bearing or cushion. Thefree jet is not directly shown in the Figures, but can be understood tocoincide with the axial center line in compartments K and L.

By operation of the movement of a free flowing conductive jet (liquidousLi, Li(NH₂) and, primarily the iron particles therein) through the coils49, the coils are inductively energized. The coils are connected withcapacitors as stated above and the interaction with the movingconductive jet acts as stimulus for causing the coil-capacitor system tooscillate and its resonance frequency is e.g. 2.5 Khz. As a consequenceof the oscillation, and due to the three phase and periodically repeatedconnection and disposition of the coils 49 along the jet path atravelling magnetic wave is produced by these coils. Since there is arelative movement between jet and travelling magnetic field, i.e. thereis a finite slip s, the oscillation is not attenuated but amplified. Thework for this amplification is taken from the kinetic energy of the jetand the latter is retarded.

As a consequence of this magnetic field set up by the coils 49 andinteracting with the mfd fluid, a circular electric field vector(looping around the central axis) is established therein, and theresulting voltage in the jet causes electrolytic decompositioning of theLi(NH₂), separating the lithium from NH₂, whereby the dispersed Feparticles serve as bipolar electrodes. The iron particles should havedimensions of about 10⁻² to 10⁻⁴ cm. Nevertheless these particlesreadily float and move with the jet.

The electric field vector being closed around the axis of the jet is ofcourse an oscillating one, and the iron particles serving as electrodesmove within the jet. Hence, the electrolysis performed is not carriedout in relation to fixed electrodes establishing surfaces of constantelectro potential vis a vis a potential difference relative to theelectrolyte. Rather, the electric field strength is constant along aclosed field line and is not a gradient of a potential field. Theoscillatory, closed loop field when sufficiently strong causes adisplacement of electrons i.e. from the NH₂ ⁻ ions to the Li⁺ ions,everywhere along a field line and per se independently from theexistence of these electrode--iron particles.

The Maxwell equation, curl E+B=0, yields a voltage by integration alonga closed field line, provided of course B≠0 which is true due to theoscillatory energization by the resonating exciter coils which producethe time variable inductance B. That voltage is not taken in relation tothe electrodes, but is the effective voltage acting on an electron thatfinds itself on a closed loop field line.

The electrodes have a different function. They provide for electricconductivity in the mfd #1 liquid as a whole which per se is a poorconductor except for the iron particles. The chemically producedelectrons (as split off the NH₂ ⁻ ions) are moved as far as electronconduction and current flow is concerned, primarily through the metal ofthese electrode particles. Since the metal of the electrode particlesdominates in the electronic conduction, a strong (instantaneous) currentwill flow indeed in the jet, in effect transporting electrons from NH₂ ⁻to Li⁺ in the otherwise poorly conductive mfd #1 liquid. That current isof course an oscillating one and is representative of the electrontransfer in the liquid from the NH₂ ⁻ ions to the Li⁺ ions. Theoscillating nature of that electrolysis producing current does not causealternation between electrolysis and decompositioning, because the jetflows rapidly as a liquid stream and the NH₂ will combine into (NH₂)₂which is an exergonic reaction and occurs spontaneously. There is thepossibility of re-separation of the hydrazine into NH₂ ions, however,hydrazine is a gas at the operating temperature (800° K.) and will tendto leave the liquidous mfd fluid. Thus, the newly formed hydrazine willseparate from the liquid jet and interposes itself as a gas cushionbetween the jet and the tube 54. The metallic lithium that remains justenriches the lithium content of the mfd #1 fluid.

As we leave FIG. 24, a somewhat expanded Li-Li(NH₂)--Fe liquid jetleaves along the axis. The lithium content was increased and the Li(NH₂)content has been depleted. That jet is surrounded by a cushion formed bya mixture of N₂ and hydrazine (gaseous), but still flowing in thediverging tube 54. It should be noted, that the field induced in the jetis actually carried out of the MHD coil systems and decays relativelyslowly thereby sustaining further electrolysis which is particularlyconductive at this point to prevent recompositioning of Li and NH₂ inthe hot fluid, bearing in mind that catalytically effective Fe particlesare still present.

Outside of tube 7 decompressed N₂ (tfd) flows parallelly thereto, alsoto the right. The six tubes 8 of course transport separately returningmfd fluid and pressurized tfd fluid to the left for use as outlinedabove.

The FIGS. 32, 33 and 34 present the compartment M, which contains theexit of the MHD-converter combined with structure for the jet capture.At this place, a further separation takes place. The residual gaseousphase, which accompanied and cushioned the liquid jet, is at the sametime (chemically inert --N₂) the protective gas for the hydrazine formedwithin the jet. The portion of tube 7 in compartment M does not containany coils. At some point in compartment L a partition between tubes 7and 54 confines the pressurized N₂ gas in the annular space betweenthese two tubes, right at the end of the coil arrangement of the MHDgenerator in compartment L. That also is the end of tube 54, and tube 7is now filled with a mixture of N₂ and gaseous hydrazine, stillsurrounding the liquidous but significantly slowed down jet.

The jet is captured in a venturi pipe, jet capture tube 62. This tube isheld inside of tube 7 by means of two partitions 63, defining a chamberinto which the captured liquid phase--mfd flows, through lateral pots62a in tube 62. This particular chamber has three outlet pipes 65a, c, erespectively connected to radial connections 67a, c, e which run theliquidous phase, i.e. Li--Fe with residual Li(NH₂) into the three pipes8a, 8c, 8e (compartment M) which return this exhausted mfd liquid to thecompartment D.

The jet capturing tube 62 is subjected to very large forces which haveto be reacted into the skeleton; this will be done by the central tube7, which supports the capturing tube 62 by the two sheets 63. The freespace between the tubes 7 and 62 defines the chamber in which the liquidmfd is collected and has the same internal static pressure as the end ofthe capturing tube has, which is equivalent to the jet stagnationpressure. In order to approach as much as possible the theoreticallymaximum stagnation pressure, which results from the residual kineticenergy of the free jet when leaving the magnetic field, the capturingtube 62 is contoured by an insert to reach optimal diffusor function.Accordingly, diffusor tube 62 repressurizes the mfd fluid for its returnto the heat absorption chambers of compartments A to D.

The three pipes 8a, c, e returning the pressurized mfd fluid tocompartment D are provided with plugs, i.e. internal portions 41 rightin the dividing plane for compartments M and N (actually establishingthis division). These same three tubes or pipes, 8a, 8c, 8e, receive themixture of hydrazine and N₂ from the interiolr of tube 7 as surroundingthe jet, but not having entered capture tube 6. The N₂ -hydrazinemixture is evacuated from the interior of MHD tube 7 via the suctiontype tubes 59 which connect to tubes 8a, c, e via tubes 66a, c, e. Theslots 60 in the suction tubes can be closed by movement of (internal)pistons operated by servo-mechanism 61. The suction closing device ispowered by an internal pressurized gas system and rendered operationalif the non-gaseous phase in form of the free jet does not meetcompletely the jet capture tube 62 or fills the MHD-duct 54 to such adegree, that liquid overflow could cause mfd liquid to enter the ducts49. This may occur, for example, during exergy transformer start upprocedure.

It should be mentioned that valves are provided in the connectionbetween tubes 8b, d, f and chambers 44, which can be closed whenever thetwo phase-operation is to be interrupted. This may occur in an emergencywhen, for example, power is not extracted (for reasons of outputfailure) from the liquid jet in the MHD converter so that the jet wouldhit with its full impact the baffle 7a. That would produce a dangerousshock. However, upon interrupting the flow of pressurized tdf gas intothe chambers 44, the acceleration of the liquid phase is interrupted.Please note that this emergency equipment was termed jet spoiler 200 inthe block diagram of FIG. 8. Closing of slots 60 by mechanism 61 takesalso place in this case and the latter equipment is part of the jetspoiler 200.

As stated, the tubes 59 lead through the jet capturing chamber (insealed relation) established by partitions 63 and into compartment N.Radially extending connecting tubes 66a, 66c, 66e discharge tubes 59into pipes 8a, 8c, 8e as they extend to the right from the partititions41 in these pipes along the M/N dividing line to run the hydrazine--N₂mixture out of the MHD generator portion. The low pressure N₂ --tfdwhich separated in compartments H and J from the mfd liquid and flowsalong the outside of tube 7 containing the MHD generator, around tubes 8and enters compartments N, surrounding here all of the pipe and tubesections 66 and 67.

The high pressure tfd gas passes through pipes 8b, 8d, 8f and throughand along the MHD generator without participation until reaching themixing chambers 44 in compartment G as described, except that a smallportion may be tapped to feed the annular space between tubes 54 and 7in the MHD generator chambers J, K, L. The pressurizing of thedecompressed tfd fluiding arriving in N so as to close the circulationof the gaseous phase of the MHD system is carried out in thecompartments to the right of N.

It should be noted that the jet capturing function is actuallyreinforced by the tubes 59 for the hydrazine and residual tfd-workingfluid suction as well as by the tubes 65 for the mfd-working fluidleaving the capturing device. The radial fluid transfer means 66, 67,which are used in mixing chambers 44 are, in principle, the same as usedhere to conduct the exhausted mfd and tfd fluids to the tubes 8 of thesupporting frame of skeleton construction. The transfer means 66 and 67for both fluids are arranged in two's and are designed to compensate, inaddition, the jet's thrust.

The compartment N could best be described as the transition connectionand isolation zone between the MHD generator (and hydrazinesynthesizer), and the equipment for recuperative heat exchange andrepressurization of the tfd fluid. The recuperative heat exchange iscontained basically in compartment O with input/output sections incompartments N and P. The repressurization of the tfd gas--N₂ occurs incompartment Q.

The heat exchange in heat exchanger O occurs between the low pressuretfd gas before compression, and the same but compressed gas (N₂). Theheat exchanger serves additionally to serve as hydrazine condenser. Theheat exchange chamber 70 proper is established inside of skin 13 with aparticular internal jacket 68 and between two partitions 2. Thesepartitions run, of course, the tubes 8 through the chamber, wherebyparticularly, tubes 8b, 8d, 8f have a certain section plugged by plugs41a, b while ahead and behind of the plugs, but still inside chamber 70openings discharge the pressurized tfd gas, N₂, into chamber 70 andcollect it again. The high pressure tfd gas arrives in pipes or tubes8b, 8d, 8f in compartment P, enters chamber 70 and circulates therein asindicated by the helical line, while leaving chamber 70 into pipes 8b,8d, 8f through the lefthand openings to the left of the lefthand plug41a.

While circulating in chamber 70 the high pressure tfd gas N₂ undergoesheat exchange, i.e. is being heated by the low pressure tfd gas N₂ whichhas arrived in compartment N and is run through heat exchange chamber 70by a multitude of thin tubes 69, only one being shown in FIG. 32, themultitude is denoted by dotting in FIG. 34. That low pressure tfd wasseparated from the liquid phase ahead of the MHD generator and flowedaround tube 7 thereof until reaching the compartment N. The highpressure tfd gas N₂ thus flows around tubes 69 in chamber 70 to receivethermal energy from the low pressure tfd gas before the latter iscompressed.

The three tubes 8a, 8c, 8e are normally used to conduct the mfd-workingfluid, but not in the compartments upstream of the compartment M. A plug41 to the left of compartment N closes these tubes; so that these tubes,8a, c, e, can be used downstream of compartment M for other purposes,the one of which is to conduct the hydrazine and residual tfd-workingfluid as already described. That residual tfd fluid served initially ascushion between the liquid jet and the tube 54 in the MHD generator. Bypassing through the heat exchanger section 70 in tubes 8a, c, e, bothgases will also be cooled. These three tubes are, therefore, to beunderstood to serve as hydrazine condensers and are, therefore, coveredat the inner surface with a wick-like structure 72 for sucking thehydrazine already condensed as well as for enlarging the condensersurface. The heat exchanger will be fixed on the supporting frame bywelding.

The liquidous hydrazine as caught by the wick-like layer 72 is therebyprevented from following the flow of the residual N₂ in tubes 8a, c, eand is collected in reservoirs 78 at the righthand border of compartmentP. From there it can be withdrawn via tube 79 for flowing into acollection tank (not shown). The residual tfd gas N₂ which also arrivedin pipes 8a, c, e in compartment P is passed through connectors 77 intothe central portion of compartment P in which end also the tubes 69following heat withdrawal in chamber 70.

Compartment P is, therefore, provided for (a) hydrazine collection andwithdrawal and (b) collection of the cooled low pressure tfd gas N₂. Theadditional function, namely feeding the high pressure tfd gas into theheat exchange chamber 70 from tubes 8b, d, f was described earlier.

Before continuing with the functional description and particularly thepressurization of the tfd fluid, it should be mentioned, that FIGS. 32,33, 34 show further examples for the application of the three standardtubes 7, 8 and 9 as well as of the two standard partitions 1 and 2within the compartments N, O, etc. Both, the recuperative heat exchangeras well as the MHD-converter are units, have been integrated into thesupporting skeleton which includes tubes 8; the outer jacket 68 of theheat exchanger is made by using two vertical partitions 2 for the frontsides, which are welded with a longitudinal partition 1 thus forming ahexagonal prismatic embodiment. Before inserting the six tubes 8 of thesupporting skeleton in this embodiment, the numerous small diametertubes 69 have to be fixed in the vertical partitions 2 thus completingthe heat exchanger; the small diameter tubes are the standard tubes 9normally used for internal connecting piping, and are here used toconduct the low pressure tfd-working fluid through the heat exchanger.The vertical partitions 2, and the bottom plate covering the largemiddle-opening of the transition are perforated by holes with beadededges necessary to affixed the small diameter tubes 69 by welding.

In FIG. 35 the construction of module components from punched anddeformed sheets is demonstrated in detail at the transfer portions 66and 67. The same principle is used for the nozzles transfer mains 44,which are, in addition, mixing chambers for both the working fluids. Thetransverse sheets 73 and 74 are beaded at edges in the same manner thepartitions 2 are made, and they will be welded first on those edgeswhich touch the tubes entering and leaving the transfer mains; in asecond step the sheet 75, which plays the same role the longitudinaltransition 1 does on other place, will be stripped over and connected byweldings.

Continuing now with the system description, compartment P contains alsothe entrance to the compressor, provided as a nozzle downstream andformed by sheets 76 (shown only in one case). It should be mentioned atthis point, that the low pressure tfd fluid when flowing fromcompartment M to compartment N is subjected to a diffusor action becauseof sudden enlargement in cross-section. In M, gas N₂ flowed around theMHD converter containing tube 7 which ends at the dividing line betweencompartments M and N. Some sheets, similar to 76 could be provided hereto provide a more gradual transition to the larger flow area andcross-section in compartment N.

The nozzle is formed by reducing the cross-section for tfd-working fluidflow in compartment P until the entrance cross-section of the isothermaldiffusor 80 of compartment Q is reached. As stated above, the residualtfd-working fluid having accompanied the hydrazine, flows via thedischarge outlets 77 into the main flow of the low pressure tfd gas incompartment P. The hydrazine, already liquified, is protected from beingcarried further by means of the wick-like structure, and as stated, willflow into the reservoir 78 to be emptied through the tube 79.

The diffusor 80 for obtaining at least approximately isothermalcompression of the tfd-working fluid N₂ is located in compartment Q. Inorder to obtain isothermal compression of the tfd gas N₂, it is causedto undergo heat exchange inside of and while passing through thediffusor. Before however describing that heat exchange, the completionof the circulation of the tfd gas N₂ (closing of the loop of the gaseousworking fluid) shall be described first.

The low pressure tfd gas N₂ as entering nozzle 76 of the diffusor iscompressed in diffusor 80 and leaves it for compartment R, inside of acontinuation section of central tubing 7. Three suction tubes 88 (FIGS.36, 37) suck the pressuized tfd gas out of that chamber and transferpipes 89 connect these three suction tubes to the three tubes or pipes8b, d, f. These tubes transport the pressurized tfd gas N₂ to the heatexchanger where it leaves these pipes temporarily for circulation inchamber 70 around tubes 69, and returns to tubes 8b, d, f for transportto the mixing chambers 44! This then completes the circulation of thetfd fluid--gas N₂.

The particular portion of the tubes 8b, d, f used otherwise for N₂ gasrecirculation, are closed with a plug 41 in regard to the compartmentsS, T, . . . ; this section houses the valves and their servo-mechanisms,not shown here, for shutdown of recirculation. This way these particulartubes 8, reserved otherwise for gas recirculation, can be used at nightas reservoir for already pressurized tfd-working fluid. Appropriatevalves are installed within the transfer ducts for the gas, coupled inaction with the valves of the duct for the mfd-working fluid 1, which isthe central tube 7. The FIG. 28 shows bellows 91 of the valve drivemechanism. The internal pressurized gas servo system is not shown here,as this is optional equipment not needed in principle.

The tfd fluid N₂ while being subjected to compression in diffusor 80 isadditionally chilled through intimate contact with a fluid termed in thefollowing mfd-2. The reason for referring to this fluid as amagneto-fluid-dynamic fluid is to be seen in that it is or at leastcould be pumped as a coolant by means of a MHD type pump. The mfd-2fluid is preferably Li(NH₃) and enters the flow of compressing tfd-N₂ indiffusor 80 of compartment Q. In particular, the walls of diffusor 80are porous in order to permit the mfd-working fluid 2 to leak from itsreservoir 81 in the back and around the diffusor 80 into the flow of N₂,for intimate mixing therewith. Droplets of mfd #2 are actually carriedalong by the flow of gas, thereby causing this mfd #2 liquid to beaccelerated and moved. The inner surface of the diffusor is actuallyenlarged by a wick-like structure 82 made from wire gauze, and the mfd-2liquid discharges therefrom into the diffusor interior for evaporativecooling of the compressed tfd gas N₂ while intimately mixing therewith.This cooling of the tfd fluid establishes its low temperature so thatthe compression work is minimized (see equation 3--supra). This coolingprocess leads to the lowest temperature of the tfd fluid, but involvescomparatively little heat transfer in the steady state, as the lowpressure tfd fluid has lost recuperatively heat exergy to the highpressure tfd fluid in heat exchanger 0.

The mfd-2 fluid arrives at compartment Q from compartment R via tubes8a, 8d, and 8e. Please note that these tubes are not used otherwise incompartments Q and R, plugs 41 in the dividing plane betweencompartments Q and P retain the hydrazine--N₂ flow in these pipes 8a, d,e in compartment P (arriving there from N and O). The mfd-2 coolant willbe pumped either by MHD-pumps, not shown here, or moves by capillaryforces into these pipes 8a, d, e and in compartment R.

It will be recalled, that the pressurized tfd gas N₂ is collected in thecentral chamber of compartment R. Actually, the compressed gas N₂ issubjected to strong baffle action when entering compartment R andhitting cold wall 85 so that liquidous or condensing components(including e.g. carried along (NH₃)) drops off and is not returned. Themfd-2 fluid arrive in the same chamber. This coolant mfd-2 precipitateson the surface of cold fingers 86 and is caught by the wick-like gauzelayer 82 and seeps through ducts 87 into the space, outside of tubesection 7 around tubes 8 in compartment R. From there, the mfd-2 fluidis pumped, as stated above, by means of MHD pumps or by capillary forcesinto tubes 8a, d, e for return to compartment Q. This then completes thecirculation of the mfd-2 fluid.

The primary function of the mfd-2 fluid (Li(NH₃)) is to provide forisothermic conditions for the compression of N₂ in diffusor80--compartment Q. The mfd-2 fluid receives heat in this process whichis to be removed from that fluid in a manner described shortly.Presently however, it should be described that mfd-2, i.e. the Li(NH₃)performs an additional function.

The tfd-gas N₂ following its separation from mfd-1 fluid in compartmentI and also in compartment M will carry certain portions of the mfd-1fluid as non-gaseous component, and here particularly, Li(NH₂). Thatcomponent is carried along, enters even diffusor 80 and will go intosolution in the dispersed mfd 2 fluid. Other substances, e.g. may havebeen removed from the tfd flow by baffle action in compartment R, as thepressurized tfd gas N₂ was being returned and any precipitation wascollected and removed in the lining 82 in compartment R along the wallof tubing 7 and discharged therefrom through openings 87. Allaccumulated liquid is then pumped from compartment R back to compartmentQ, through tubes 8a, 8c, 8e.

These particular portions of tubes 8a, 8c, 8e in compartment Q are usedalso to house a regeneration device 83, in which the carry over ofmfd-working fluid 1 in form of Li(NH₂) should be eliminated. This device83 is made from sheets or sintered components of the elements Ca or Mgand absorbs by chemical reaction the NH₂ -groups dissolved within themfd #2 coolant Li(NH₃). By the action of this regeneration device theLi-content of the mfd-2 liquid increases continuously.

Preferably at night, when the exergy transformer is not in operation dueto lack of exergy supply, the trapping material of regenerator 83 has tobe regenerated; for example, by thermal dissociation of the metal-amidesformed during the daytime operation, into NH₃ and N₂. In addition, thedeposited lithium has to be flushed out. The regeneration device 83 isconnected for this reason not only with the reservoir 81 for mfd-2(=Li-NH₃) but connection is to be made also to feed the excess lithiumback into the reservoir for mfd 1 fluid. For this, one can use the tube34 which passes N₂ and H₂ into the system but is not used in the nighttime. Thus, tube 34 will be connected with regenerator 83 during thenight to feed the Li into compartments A, B, C, D. The regenerationdevice 83 has to provide both, the recirculation of NH₃ formed in excessas well the recirculation of Li accumulated in the coolant mfd-2 liquid(Li-NH₃), back into the mfd-working fluid 1 as resting at night. Bothcomponents are dissolved at low temperature and will be transported inliquid phase via the line 34 into the mfd-1 reservoir; the reaction ofthe NH₃ -component with Li to form Li-amide and H₂ takes place at highertemperature, in the morning.

This double use of line 34 does not interfere with the injection of N₂and H₂ along the same line 34 for the synthesis of hydrazine, for theseprocesses take place only at daytime.

FIGS. 36 and 37 show the separation-chamber and heat exchange chamberbetween primary and secondary coolant and contained predominantly withinthe compartment R; this component, again, is composed from the standardtubes and partitions.

The primary coolant is the fluid mfd-2 and the secondary coolant isprovided for external heat exchange, for example, with air. The reasonfor this separation is to be seen in the necessity of removing spuriouscomponents of mfd 1 fluid from the tfd-gas as outlined above and themixing of the latter with the coolant (mfd-2) necessitates provisionsfor the cleaning process. This particular circulation of mfd-2 fluidshould be held as short as possible to prevent the mfd-1 residue fromclogging the circulation ducts. This is the reason for not using mfd-2also in direct heat exchange with ambient air (requiring large areas andzones for flow). Basically, however, the cooling process undertaken bymfd-2 is the primary one and determinative of the low point intemperature for the tfd gas N₂ ; the other coolant is merely provided asheat transport and decoupling agent due to the aforesaid additionalfunction of the mfd-2 circulation (mfd-1 residue capture).

The recompressed tfd-working fluid N₂ (leaving the isothermal diffusor)is reversed in flow direction in the central tube 7 inside ofcompartment R and distributed into the three tubes 8b, d, f of the mainframe. The chamber wall 84 is made of a section of the central tubing 7,and is welded into two vertical partitions 2, constituting therefore apart of the support frame. In addition, the coolant fluid, called mfd-2and providing for the isothermic compression of the tfd-gas, isseparated from the compressed tfd gas N₂ as was outlined above andpumped back through the regenerator 83. Still in addition now, the mfd-2coolant is to be cooled itself by means of the secondary coolant,circulating through compartments R through Y.

In order to obtain immediate heat exchange between mfd-2 (primarycoolant) and secondary coolant--hollow fingers 86 are inserted into thechamber defined inside tube section 7 of compartment R. These fingersextend from a bottom plate 85. Fingers 86 are also made from the thinstandard tube 9, which were also used in the recuperative heat exchanger(69). The hollow fingers 86 thus penetrate the interior of the saidseparating chamber in compartment R and are cooled from the inside byevaporation of the secondary coolant flowing therein. The secondarycoolant can also be Li(NH₃) or any other suitable coolant which willevaporate on heat exchange with the mfd-2 fluid but can be condensed byheat exchange with ambient air.

It was mentioned above that all surfaces of the separation chamber arecovered with a wire gauze 82 of wick-like structure; the primarycoolant, when condensed at the cold fingers, leaks within thecapillaries of wick to pass through the suction slots 87, and then toMHD-pumps, not shown here, which pump the now liquidous mfd-2 coolantthrough the regeneration device 83 into the reservoir 83.

The central tube 7, forming the separation and heat exchange chamber incompartment R, is extended into the compartment S and has a cylindrical,hollow insert 92, serving as recipient chamber for the evaporatedsecondary coolant. This insert 92 is closed by the bottom sheet 85,which in turn is penetrated by the hollow cooling fingers 86communicating with the interior of insert 92. These fingers are weldedonto beaded edges of holes in the bottom plate 85.

Insert 92 constitutes a structural unit and will be shifted into andwelded to the central tube 7 at their respective righthand ends. Thesecondary liquid coolant Li(NH₃) is supplied via the pipe 83 from thecompartments T, U . . . and distributed to the various hollow fingers 86for evaporation therein. As shown for one finger, but is valid for all,an inner coaxial tube 94 in each finger leads the coolant to the tip ofthe finger 86, where it leaves the respective tube 94 in order to wetthe internal surface of the finger for evaporation. The vaporizedcoolant is collected in the gas chamber of insert 92 and is passed bymeans of three radial ducts 95 into three of the six tubes 8 in chambersS, T, etc. and running through an air cooler therein.

It should be mentioned at this point that all of the six tubes 8athrough f are plugged by means of plugs 41 along the dividing linebetween compartments R and S. The tubes 8a, c, e hold primary coolingfluid (mfd-2=Li(NH₃)) to the left of these plugs, and tubes 8b, d, fpass pressurized tdf fluid --N₂. All tubes 8 to the right of these plugsin the dividing plane between compartments R and S are available forpassage of gaseous secondary cooling fluid (evaporated Li(NH₃)). Onlythree of the tubes 8 are actually used for feeding the evaporatedsecondary cooling fluid into the cooler (compartments U et seq); theother three tubes 8 are used as store for liquified secondary coolant,and pipes 93 return the liquified secondary coolant to the fingers 86.

The free space 21 between insert 92 and the vertical partition 11,holding the righthand axial end of outer skin 15 communicates with thegap 20 in axial direction. Due to the fact that the outer skin 15 willnot be thermally extended and contracted to the same extent the innerskin 13 will probably be, the vertical partition 11 is not directlywelded to the tubes 8, but indirectly through interposed, lengthcompensating bellows 96. The bellows, however, are placed betweencompartments S and U, and the righthand end of bellows are fixed to thetubes 8 at the end of compartment T by means of welding seams 99. Thegap 20 (filled with protective gas at very low pressure) is continuedwithin the bellows.

All parts, including the tubes 8 of compartments T, U . . . are notcovered by skin and are, therefore, exposed to ambient air. The centralopening of a particular vertical partition 11 is normally used forreceiving the central tube 7, but that opening is closed in compartmentS by means of spherical deformed sheet 97, positioned for exposure tothe surrounding coolant air flow. In this half-sphere, theion-getter-pump 98 is installed, which has to provide the very lowpressure for the gas circulating in gap 20 between the inner and outerskins 13, 15 respectively.

The heat exchanger in FIGS. 38 and 39, operating as between thesecondary coolant Li(NH₃) and ambient air occupies all of compartmentsU, V, W, X and Y, as well as the air flow outlet in compartment T. Theheat exchanger is likewise made from the standard parts employedthroughout and will be installed as a unit and connected to the mainportion of the MHD-module by the welding 99.

The heat exchange unit is composed from the six standard tubes 8, thecentral tube 7 and from modified longitudinal frame parts 1. Three ofthe tubes 8 are used for the transfer of the gaseous secondary coolant;slots 100 permit the gas to pass through and to touch the inner surfacesof the heat exchanger for condensation. The other three tubes 8 are usedas a reservoir for the liquified secondary coolant, pumped into by aMHD-pump 101. The tubes 93 take the liquidous secondary cooling fromthese tubes.

The longitudinal transition 1 is shown slightly modified. It is composedfrom the segments 102 and 103, which serve here as outer and inner skin,respectively, of heat exchanger; both these segments are deformed in away resulting in channels 104 and 105 offering a maximum surface area tothe coolant air. The segments are, for this reason, as well as forstabilization, corrugated (in the same manner as the corrugated sheet 14for the reinforcement of inner skin 13). Both segments are joined atlips 106 by weldings. The segments will be covered before assembling ontheir inner surfaces with a wire gauze 107 with wick-like structureproviding enlargement and also wetting of the surface.

The coolant air is supplied from the compartment Z (not shown here),which is coupled to the air duct. The air leaves the MHD-module atcompartment T. The hoods 12 house the sensors for control of continuousair flow.

One condition for the exergy transformers operation is to focus solarradiation on the entrance heat exchanger of MHD-module resulting in anincrease in flux density by a factor of 1000. A second condition is tosupply the MHD-modules with cold air in large quantities for removal ofthe waste heat of MHD-process; a third condition is to separate both N₂and H₂ O from the coolant air (in cases where no water is available atground level) to be the ducts for exergy storage.

There are two solutions to the problem, depending upon the location ofthe exergy transformation: if the transformer is to be used in the aridor tropical hot zones between, say 30° and the equator, then the problemis to a lesser degree the availability of solar radiation, due to theclimate, but the availability of water if the transformer is to be usedin the moderated zones between say 30° and 60° latitude, then theavailability of solar energy is the more dominant problem due tofrequent clod covers. In either case, the solar exergy must be focussed.

After having described the equipment by means of which to use solar (orother nuclear) exergy for obtaining the synthesis of hydrazine, severalof the critical aspects of the operation and of the process as a wholeshall be discussed and here particularly the interaction of the fluidsand of the magnetic fields as well as the overall MHD conversionprocess. It will be recalled from the description of FIG. 8, that thegaseous medium tfd-fluid, N₂ has a central position. From thedescription above it can readily be deduced how the gaseous phase andmedium called tfd actually drives the two liquids, mfd #1 and 2. In onecase (mfd #1) the liquid is accelerated out of the mixing chambers 44 bymeans of the nozzles 45, in the other case, the tfd gas actually causesthe mfd #2 liquid to evaporate and to otherwise mingle with the gas inthe diffusor 80 thereby actually driving the liquid (mfd #2) as part ofand within its circulation. In both instances there is a generalizedthermodynamic force as a result of a temperature difference between thetfd gas and the respective mfd liquid; in both cases there isisenthalpic pressure change, expansion in one instance, compression inthe other.

The three essential properties of the interaction between tfd and mfdfluids, particularly the tfd gas and the mfd liquid are depicted in FIG.9. There is a close analogy with the electromagnetic interaction betweenthe magnetic field as set up by the coils 49 and the self-consist oreigen field of the mfd #1 liquid jet. These interactions areinteractions via forces resulting from local non-equilibrium. Theseforces require certain energy which is lost otherwise. The interactionscan be weak or strong which depends on the ratio of transferred exergyby operation of the interaction in relation to the total exergy contentof the media (or fields). The strength of the respective interaction isadjustable by means of adjustment of some of the parameters thatdetermine the process.

The work ability a_(exp) (exergy content) of the tfd gas is transferredby means of the viscous interaction with the mfd #1 liquid in mixingchambers and nozzles (44, 45) as follows: kinetic energy as impartedupon the mfd #1 droplets: kinetic energy of the tfd; internal losses tosustain the interaction. The forces X; of the interaction result fromlocal imbalances or non-equilibrium such as the velocity differences ofthe two fluids. As a consequence, a momentum I is produced by operationof thermodynamically irreversible processes. The products of forces andflux (of momenta) is the loss of exergy needed to sustain theinteraction. ##EQU14## The exergetic efficiency of the viscousinteraction in the two phase nozzles 45 as the sum of the respectiveefficiencies for either fluid results in ##EQU15## wherein the single(') refers to the mfd #1 liquid and the double (") refers to the tfdgas.

The viscous interaction in the exergy transformer as described isadjusted to be strong (in contradistinction to known MHD process)operating with a plasma or a liquid metal-gas emulsion as MHD workfluid. Specifically, the exergy transferred from the (expanding) tfd gasto the mfd #1 liquid is so large that both media assume comparablespecific kinetic energy following interaction in the nozzles 45. Thedecisive parameter in FIG. 9 is the relative proportion X of the tfdfluid in relation to the total mass flow. ##EQU16## for 0.2<×<0.3, i.e.to the right of the maximum of the specific kinetic energy e"_(kin) ofthe mfd #1 fluid, one obtains the strongest interaction. For X→0(gas-metal emulsion) as well as for X→1 (plasma process) the interactionapproaches zero.

The two fluids employed here are predominantly Li and N₂. They interactin a temperature range between 750° K. and 850° K. One can in factobtain a ratio of φ'=e'_(kin) /x·a_(exp) =0.5 and φ"=e"_(kin) /x:a_(exp)=0.3 with a total nozzle efficiency φ_(nozzles) =0.8.

Using e'_(kin) and e"_(kin) separately is the logical result of a strongviscous interaction. Since the tfd gas (N₂) has transferred in nozzles45 the maximum possible exergy and is "exhausted" in this respect, itwould not serve any purpose to run both fluids through the MHD converterprocess. This is quite different from MHD processes with weak viscousinteraction. It is for this reason that one separates the fluids incompartment J. This in turn permits the utilization of e"_(kin) of thetfd gas for obtaining the isothermic compression in compartment Q, atlow temperature. The specific kinetic energy e'_(kin) of the mfd-workingfluid 1 is extracted in form of electrical energy in the course of theelectro-dynamic interaction in compartments K and L. FIG. 10 shows thetransfer of compression work.

In analogy to the viscous non-equilibrium interaction between the tfdand mfd #1 fluids; I now proceed to the description of theelectromagnetic interaction in the MHD generator.

The working fluids of the exergy transformer are separated incompartment I by means of two steps. In the first step the homogenousdistribution of both fluids--as can be found within the two-phasenozzles--will be disturbed downstream of the nozzle. This has beenachieved by the parallel operation of the several nozzles 45 alloriented towards an axis and to point of convergence 152, common to allnozzles. The non-gaseous phase has a much higher density and, therefore,higher inertia than the gaseous phase; it tends to maintain the initialdirection concentrating itself in the neighborhood of the axis common tothe nozzle system upstream of the point of convergence, while thegaseous phase expands to fill the empty space of compartments H and Jaround the free jet being formed. Within the area of jet formation X→0,outside of the free jet in being X→1; in both these regions the strengthof viscous interaction decreases continuously.

Due to the components of velocity of the converging stream normal to its(desired) flight direction, and due to some residual weak viscousinteraction a compact liquid mfd-free jet will not be formedspontaneously; the gaseous phase, at the other hand, will be expandedfurther as caused by the increase of cross section (compartment N) forflow towards to the suction channels.

The second step of separation results by electro-magnetic interaction.Kinetic energy of the mfd #1 working fluid is extracted and re-suppliedin form of electrical energy; by this, forces are exerted on thedifferent droplets performing work to stop motion normal to the bulk(axial) flight direction, causing them to coagulate.

The MHD-converter proper can be defined as that area of the exergytransformer, in which the electrodynamic interaction takes place inorder to extract kinetic energy from the mfd-working fluid #1 and totransfer it (via the systems boundary) in form of electrical energy. TheMHD-converter is composed from numerous annular coils 49, which surroundthe mfd-working fluid #1 flowing free, concentric to the center axis ofthe system. The entrance of the coil system is located near the point 53of convergence, upstream thereof and in a region, in which the freeflowing mfd-working fluid is not yet a compact jet. As stated above, thedistance between the different coils 49 decreases in flow directionwhile their diameter increases. The coils are inserted into statorblocks48 formed of comb like construction so that, on the one hand, themagnetic field is guided for travelling along but outside of the freejet, and on the other hand forces are transferred from the free jet tothe exergy transformer coils.

The coil system is a three-phase system, in general excited with thesame constant frequency f, and is coupled with a capacitor bank to beable to oscillate self-excitedly. Electro-magnetic energy is shiftedperiodically between the coils and the capacitors; the magnetic fieldgenerated by the coils forms in total a magnetic wave or travellingfield with a phase velocity decreasing in direction of motion: ##EQU17##λ is proportional to the distance of coils, ω=2πf, k=2π/λ (wave-number).

The electro-dynamic interaction caused by this device, is essentially aninteraction between two magnetic fields, which are the field B_(extern)of the coils and the field B_(eigen) carried along with the mfd-workingfluid 1 at the velocity of fluid v_(fluid). The exergy transferredduring interaction is energy of the electro-magnetic field. The reasonfor including coils as well as the mfd #1 liquid in the interaction isto be seen in that both of them are the conductors for electric currentswhich in turn generate the magnetic fields. The mfd-working fluid, inaddition, supplies the exergy to be transferred during interaction atthe expense of its kinetic energy. The interaction is based--in the sameway as does the viscous and thermal interaction--on a localnon-equilibrium, given by the relative velocity (v_(fluid) -v_(phase))between both magnetic fields. At the origin of the second field, withinthe mfd-working fluid #1, an electrical field E is generated (due to thetransformation of the homogenous Maxwell-equations for an inertialsystem in motion): ##EQU18##

The electrical field exerts a force on the electrical charges within thefluid, and it is this force, which is the generalized force ofinteraction--not the Lorentz-force. The resulting (generalized) flux isthe electric current, given by the electrical conductivity σ of the mfd#1 working fluid; the specific current density j is (due to the fact,that the velocity vectors are parallel in this interaction): ##EQU19## sis the slip defined by--s=(v_(fluid) -v_(phase))/v_(phase).

The specific internal consumption for sustaining the interaction,eigenconsumption of interaction, is given by: ##EQU20##

Exergy for extraction is transferred during interaction by the fieldB_(eigen). That field B_(eigen) can be calculated from the inhomogenousMaxwell-equation with j to be the source-term. B_(eigen) is shifted inphase in regard to B_(extern) by a phase angle of π/2. This is thereason, one can calculate the amplitude |B_(eigen) | from the otheramplitude |B_(extern) | without considering the total field B_(total) :##EQU21## (j² =-1) The ratio of both amplitudes is: ##EQU22## with R_(m)=σ·μ·μ_(o) ·v_(phase) /k being defined as magnetic Reynolds-number.μ_(o) =π4·10⁻⁷ Vs/Am, μ=relative permeability of the liquid.

The stability of interaction leads to the condition: ##EQU23## ±s·R_(m)=1 is the condition for maximal strength of interaction; in this case is|B_(eigen)| =|B_(extern) |, and the energy of the field is proportionalto: ##EQU24##

The power factor of interaction is given for ±s·R_(m) ≦1: ##EQU25## Themaximum value is (in this first order approximation) cos φ=1/√2=0.705.

The exergy for this interaction is used both for internal, i.e.eigenconsumption and, to a much larger extent to maintain the localnon-equilibrium which means the continued generation of the fieldB_(eigen) from the current-density j within the mfd #1 working fluid.This second part can be calculated from the specific force exerted bythe external field via the currents j upon the liquid: ##EQU26##

To shift the mfd #1 working fluid at the velocity v_(fluid) under the(retarding) influence of this force, the specific work ##EQU27## has tobe performed, and will be taken from the kinetic energy of the fluid.Inertia force of fluid and Lorentz-force have, therefore, to compensateeach other.

The net exergy transferred during interaction is: ##EQU28##

The exergetic efficiency of interaction is given by (the well knownformula): ##EQU29##

This electro-magnetic interaction as described thus far does not includethe stabilization of the free jet--focussing of mfd #1 working fluid toobtain a compact jet, guidance and focussing when flowing within thecoil system--nor does it include the electro-synthesis of hydrazine. Allthese different processes consume exergy for the work to be expended onand in the jet; this work must be performed also by making use of theabove discussed interaction, because the jet flows freely and is not incontact with any wall! For this purpose, additional generalized forcesaccording to equation (18) have to be generated by local variation ofthe slip -s and of the external B_(extern). The exergetic efficiencyφ_(converter) of the non-idealized interaction is always lower thanφ_(MHD), for this number is related to an infinitively extendedundisturbed field and a constant slip.

It should be noted, that the slip -s of the MHD-converter is notconstant (locally) even without stabilization of jet for the followingreason. If all the coils 49 were to be excited with the same frequencyf, then the phase angle between voltage and current should be the samefor all coils. This, however, means that |B_(extern) |=|B_(eigen) | and,hence, -s·R_(m) =1. Because R_(m) is proportional to v² _(phase) /ω andmust decrease along the fluid path, the condition of a constant phaseangle, φ=const. can be met only by increasing the slip in flowdirection!

The focussing of flow at the entrance of MHD-converter is achieved bychanging the sign of the slip s as well as by proper adjustment of fieldB_(extern) at the entrance section J (which can be supported by asurface separator upstream). The jet as formed thereat runs over adistance of a few wavelengths under-synchronously, notover-synchronously, exergy is supplied to the jet at that point; thedistortion of the magnetic field lines at the entrance to the converterresults in focussing forces k_(Lorentz) acting on the fluid particles inwhich a current can flow. For this purpose the first coil or the firstfew coils, adjacent the entrance (compartment J) are not excitedtogether with the other coils; the phase velocity of the magnetic waveand its harmonics can, therefore, be controlled independently.

A similar method can be used for augmenting the synthesis of hydrazine;it is possible, as an example, the last part of the coil system ofMHD-converter to operate in the brake-mode by reversing the phasevelocity. This method also might be based on a separate excitation ofthat part of coil system.

After having described viscous and electromagnetic interactions, I nowturn to an overview as well as details of the principles of theMHD-process within the exergy transformer and regarding MHD-converter,two-phase nozzles 45, recuperative heat exchanger (compartment O) andthe diffusor 80 for recompressing the tfd gas.

It is the advantage of the free jet MHD-converter operating with aradial field, that the jet will be stabilized in the direction of axisof coil system. The currents induced are annular currents and flowanti-parallel to those in the coil for excitation. The problemsresulting from the use of side bars and of finite width as known fromflat channel type MHD-converter have been avoided. A real problem isposed by the condition that the external magnetic field must be closedby means of and through the jet; the flux density being necessarily veryhigh. This is a reason for limiting the wavelength; this length shouldnot exceed in average 0.1 m. The high velocity of the fluid has as aconsequence that the MHD-converter will be operated at a frequency inthe kHz-range. Due to the skin effect in Cu, the currents will penetrateno more than 0.5 mm; the coils 49 are actually made from small tubeswith a thin wall, cooled inside by a coolant.

For λ_(average) =0.1 m, v_(phase) average =250 m/s follows f=2.5 kHz.The electrical conductivity of Li is at 750 K about σ=10⁷ 1/Ωm; for theLi-LiNH₂ solution σ=10⁶ 1/Ωm is a good estimate. The magneticReynolds-number is: ##EQU30## wherein μ is the permeability of the mfd#1 liquid. That liquid is made to assume a permeability by adding modestquantities of iron to serve as the catalyst for the Li-NH₂ -synthesis aswell as the bipolar electrodes for the Li-NH₂ -electrolysis. The use ofiron can also solve the problem of a strong electro-magnetic interactioneven within the free jet MHD-converter of the exergy transformer. Thespecific work a_(MHD) performed during interaction (27) is related tounit volume while the specific kinetic energy of the fluid v² _(fluid)/2 is related to unit massflow. Therefore, in the steady state ofoperation, the specific work of interaction, integrated over the volumeof the free jet, must be the same as the difference in total kineticenergy of the jet and before and after the interaction:

The first basic condition for the exergy transformer is: ##EQU31##

The condition (30) can be met under the following assumptions: ##EQU32##then: ##EQU33## the only free parameter is μ, which is the permeabilityof the liquid to which iron particles have been added. Under the statedconditions, the parameter is μ=4.9. Since iron has a permeabilityroughly between 100 and 1000, rather small quantities of iron particlessuffice to obtain that low permeability for the liquid as a whole. Underthese assumptions the power density of electro-magnetic interactionwithin the free jet converter amounts to 2.56 kW/cm³, the averagemagnetic Reynolds-number R_(m) ≈25, the average slip -s=0.04, theaverage slip frequency -s·f=100 Hz, the average loss density (in form ofheat) is about 100 W/cm³ (equivalent to the power density within theblanket of a fast breeder reactor). The specific kinetic energy ofworking fluid at entrance is v'_(in) ² /2=61.5 Ws/g. A free jet with anentrance diameter of d_(in) =3 cm has a fluid power of about 15 MW ifincreased in diameter to d_(ex) =6.7 cm. Due to -s<<1 is φ_(MHD) ≈1.0.Under the assumption of a more realistic exergetic efficiency ofMHD-converter of φ_(converter) =0.75 the net electrical power extractionis N_(electrical) =11.2 MW.

The induced electrical field E_(average) is given by equation (18) andfor the brake-mode with s≧1, |E_(average) |≦2.5 V/cm, which issufficiently high for the LiNH₂ electrolysis with its specific exergyconsumption of about 2.2 (electron) volts. S≧1 results from phaseinverted connection of the coils more downstream, but excited with andby the same frequency and preferably included in the oscillatorcoil-capacitor system as a whole.

The residual kinetic energy of both the tfd- as well as the mfd #1working fluid will be needed for the recirculation of these fluids usingdiffusors realizing the ram-jet principle. However, about 90% of therecompression is used to bring the tfd gas back up to the operatingpressure for isenthalpic expansion in the nozzles 45. The total kineticenergy of both fluids, at the end of viscous interaction (15) amountsto: ##EQU34##

Kinetic energy will be extracted from the mfd #1 working fluid withinthe MHD-converter according to equation (30): ##EQU35##

The tfd-working fluid is, of course, not affected by the processeswithin the converter. The residual kinetic energies are: ##EQU36##

The principle of ram-jet operation demands, that the residual energy ofthe respective working fluid covers both the theoretical compressionwork, the internal, eigenconsumption as well as work for recirculationwithin the loop. The second basic condition for the exergy transformeris: ##EQU37##

The condition (34a) for the mfd #1 working fluid (which is the basis forthe project MHD-staustrahlrohr*) with an one-component mfd-workingfluid) has been met without any major difficulties. The compression workis calculated to be a'_(comp) =(p_(upper) -p_(low))/ρ'_(mfd) due to theincompressible fluid. The theoretical stagnation pressure is for theassumptions made before about 28 bar, which is sufficiently high totolerate high exergy losses by the jet capture in compartment M; theresidual energy is 0.04 times the kinetic energy of the working fluidbefore entering the MHD-converter.

The condition (34b) for the tfd-working fluid, however, is the criticalone and is decisive for the realization of the exergy transformer. Inthe case of isothermal compression in diffusor 80 according to (2) and(3) one obtains compression work to be equal to: ##EQU38##

The residual kinetic energy at the termination of viscous interaction ischaracterized by φ"_(nozzle) following (15); one can describe the exergynecessary for eigenconsumption during compression in diffusor 80 andrecirculation--including friction losses within the recuperative heatexchanger--by introducing the exergetic efficiency: ##EQU39## using(35), the condition (34b) reads: ##EQU40##

In case of this exergy transformer the condition (36) has to befulfilled by controlling the strength of viscous interaction varying theratio x/(1-x)=m_(tfd) /m_(mfd) of both fluids as well as by choosingproper the ratio of densities ρ'/ρ" (at beginning of expansion).

If 0.4≧φ"_(nozzle) <0.45 (see FIG. 9) the parameter x can vary between0.2 and 0.3. The permissible range, in which φ"_(ram) jet may change isfor T_(upper) =750 K and T_(low) =250 K: ##EQU41## For a temperature of300 K, the figures vary only by about 20%.

These numbers can be reached by an adequate design. Due to the followingrelations: ##EQU42## the specific expansion work can be calculated;using x=0.3; φ'_(nozzle) =0.4; φ"_(nozzle) =0.43 the expansion work isa_(exp) =360 Ws/g; from this the exit velocity of the tfd-working fluidfollows to be v"_(ex) =557 m/s according to the specific kinetic energyv_(ex) "² /2=155 Ws/g. After separation the tfd-working fluid approachesthe velocity of sound ##EQU43##

In order to reduce the friction losses during recuperation according tothe limits given by the second condition (34b) or (36) respectively, thevelocity of the tfd-working fluid has to be decreased by adiabaticdeceleration within diffusor (compartment N). The eigenconsumption ofexergy for the recuperation can be approximated applying theReynolds-analogy between the specific heat flux and the shear-tension:##EQU44## v" is the velocity during recuperation, ΔT" is the temperaturedifference between hot and cold fluids, ξ is a factor describing shapeof heater tubes. (37) is the second term of the right side of equation(35) for φ"_(ram) jet ; this term should not exceed 0.1. For ξ=0.81,ΔT"=50 K must be, therefore, v"=35 m/s.

FIG. 11 is an temperature-entropy diagram for both the tfd-working fluidN₂ and the mfd #1 working fluid Li-LiNH₂ -Fe. The tfd-working fluid isdecelerated and adiabatically after separation from the mfd 4/ workingfluid, before recuperation (compartment N); when leaving therecuperative heat exchanger (compartment P) it will be acceleratedagain. The rise in temperature caused by deceleration is used for heatexchange in compartment Q.

The pressure ratio π can be calculated from the ratio of the expansionwork utilized a_(exp) =360 Ws/g to the maximum possible expansion workR·T_(upper) ·ln_(max) =750 Ws/g: ##EQU45## It is π=5.35. The specificcompression work is a"_(comp) =120 Ws/g. The tfd-working fluid enteringthe diffusor 80 (after loosing thermal energy in the recuperator) has tobe cooled, which is achieved by evaporation of the NH₃ component of themfd #2 working fluid and at high velocity in the frontal portion ofdiffusor 80. In this case the viscous interaction is, however, weak, dueto both the low densities and low fraction of NH₃. It will be recalled,that the mfd #2 working fluid is basically a coolant. The process in thediffusor 80 is comparable to that within a heat pipe. The range ofparameters of this process has to be selected in such a manner, that thelocal vapor pressure of NH₃ and the pressure of N₂ equalize only afterthe tfd fluid velocity has been decreased substantially. Thereafter,cooling by evaporation will be replaced by cooling on wetted surfaces.

The variation of thermodynamic states of the mfd #1 fluid results fromits function to be a heat storage medium; it follows: ##EQU46## c_(p)'=4 Ws/gK (specific heat at constant pressure of Li-LiNH₂); ΔT'(temperature range of heat storage). Under the assumptions made beforeΔT'=38.5 K follows.

The total efficiency of the process in the exergy transformer should berelated to the conversion of the solar radiation absorbed to theelectrical energy at exit of the coil system; it is defined, using (8)and with N_(el) being the net electrical energy of the MHD-converter:##EQU47##

If the efficiency φ_(MHD) of interaction will be supplemented byconsidering total eigenconsumption, and if the slip s is understood tobe the local slip, then the effective efficiency φ_(converter) can bedefined by using the first basic condition (30) as follows: ##EQU48##

The total efficiency η_(th) can be decuded directly from (32), providedthe second basic condition (34a+b) is actually met: ##EQU49##

From the data mentioned before one finds η_(th) =0.288; from this, theexergetic efficiency of the process is determined to be φ_(process)=0.432 due to η_(c) =0.666.

It is well known that processes in MHD-systems running both on lines ofconstant enthalpy and on isobares, will have a total efficiency, whichis--in theory--comparable to those in nuclear power stations.MHD-systems of this kind, however, have been based on a weak viscousinteraction maintained within the MHD-converter proper parallel to theelectro-magnetic interaction which is, therefore, also a weak one(extraction from d.c. power at R_(m) <1). These systems can hardly beoperated without movable boundaries (turbines as well as compressors).

To summarize and conclude: The substantial improvement of the presentMHD-process within the exergy transformer expressed by the high totalefficiency if compared to the well known MHD-processes with condensationof the tfd-working fluid and recirculation by the ram jet principle, isachieved by utilizing the residual kinetic energy of both fluids. Inaddition, recuperation takes place independent from the expansion in thenozzles. It is important to note, that the electro-magnetic interactionincludes separation of the two working fluids, and that this interactiontakes place at high velocities and with high frequencies based on a freeflying jet. The increase of the magnetic Reynolds-number R_(m) up to 25by ferromagnetic components of the mfd-working fluid #1 helps to solvethe (old) problem of adapting the thermodynamic acceleration of thetfd-working fluid to the energy extraction in the MHD-converter, whichwas solved in all known liquid-metal-MHD-systems only by tolerating verylarge losses of exergy. It should be noted at last, that the exergytransformer will be operated in a technical most feasible relatively lowrange of temperatures which so far as not attainable to the systemsmentioned before with both a strong viscous and electromagneticinteraction.

η_(th) according to (41) is not the total efficiency of the exergytransformer, or, in other words, is not the efficiency of the storage ofsolar exergy in form of free enthalpy of the chemical compounds (OH)₂and (NH₂)₂. Rather, η_(th) is a very good approximation due to the fact,that the (exergetic) efficiency of chemical reactions is quite high ingeneral; the internal, eigenconsumption of exergy is low. It seems to benot of major importance, that this eigenconsumption of the chemicalreactions is not included in η_(th). The (OH)₂ -synthesis was found toreach technical efficiencies up to 90%; the last step of (NH₂)₂-synthesis (electrolysis of Li-NH₂), however, needs only about 25% ofthe total electrical energy; even if the efficiency of this process (notknown so far) is much lower, its influence on the total efficiency issoftened due to the low weight. A compensation of losses seems to bepossible utilizing by parts energy of the field B_(eigen) carried alongwith the free jet for the Li-amide-electrolysis; normally this energy islost.

On the basis of the foregoing detailed explanation it will readily beunderstood that the peroxide synthesis can be carried out quiteanalogously and is run on a simplified basis because thecoil-core-liquid system does not have to operate on the basis ofthermo-fluid dynamic acceleration of the working fluid (though it could)but a pump (187--FIG. 8) is used instead. Also, the electrical energy isapplied externally, namely from the MHD converter of the hydrazine andsolar exergy exploiting system. The a.c. electrolysis is, therefore,used by interaction between coils and a watery solution of KOH used ascirculating working fluid here, with metallic particles, preferablyiron, but possibly Cu or Al being interspersed for the same reason,namely to establish conductivity in the otherwise poorly conductiveelectrolyte. The voltage needed here for electrolysis is also the resultof the effect as expressed Maxwell (vector) equation B+curl E=0, andintegration of E along a closed electric field line, looping around theaxis of fluid flow, yields the voltage U (not a potential difference ina potential field, there is none) which is directly effective onelectrons to move them from OH⁻ to K⁺.

In the following, it shall be described how the hydrazine and thegeneration of H₂ (needed for the hydrazine synthesis) with concurringproduction of (OH₂)₂ can be carried out by one basic fluid circulatingsystem. For this I turn to FIG. 42. In toto, this system is moreeconomical (fewer parts, no H₂ storage, no electric transmission). Thesystem is based on the (justified) assumption that as intermediateproducts M-NH₂ and M-OH can be used with M standing for the same metal,particularly the same alkalimetal. The system, furthermore is based onthe "compromise" that only one of these intermediate products issynthesized electrolytically, the other one chemically.

The box 308 in FIG. 42 depicts the flow chart of this combinationsynthesis. Reflector 289 is the same as before and the same is true forthe accumulation and extraction facilities 302, 286, and 279. Acirculation 290 in unit 308 is now a circulation of M and M-OH, M beingfor example Li or K. Block 291 denotes the heating of that fluid bysolar energy and block 292 denotes the adding of hydrogen and nitrogento that liquid so that functionally M-NH₂ is generated in block 293.This will be a catalytic reaction with iron for example serving ascatalyst. Please note, that this amid-formation is not linked to the useof lithium but works with other alkali-metals as well.

Thus far the situation is very similar to the function and steps as wasexplained above with reference to FIG. 8. However, the liquid nowcontinuing to circulate is M, MOH and M-NH₂. At point 295 and 281, wateris added to the circulation. This is actually the entrance to theaccelerator nozzles such as 45, supra. Thus, water is used here as thetfd fluid. The water evaporates and expands along 296 and acceleratesthe working liquid as before. However additionally, the water reactswith the M-NH₂ and forms MOH+(NH₂)₂ +H₂. In other words, the hydrazineis the product of a chemical reaction of metal-amid and water underformation of H₂ and hydrazine. Additionally, the residual metal is alsoconverted into MOH+H₂.

Following the acceleration, the liquid phase consists essentially of MOHand M while hydrazine and hydrogen accompany the tfd gas (namely H₂ O)in the liquid gas separation process. Please note, that more water isadded at 295 than can react with the M-NH₂ and the metal so that all ofthe M-NH₂ decomposes under formation of hydrazine while excess water(steam) serves as the tfd gas performing the acceleration producing workon the liquid phase.

The steam and H₂ are separated at 297 analogous to the gas--liquidseparation as described above. The gas includes also hydrazine which isprecipitated by cooling in 301 because hydrazine has a higher boilingpoint than water. The water--H₂ mixture (gaseous) is extracted as tfdfluid and subjected to recuperative heat exchange in 304 with isothermiccompression (and condensation of the water) in 305 which is simplifiedin FIG. 42 but may well be constructed analogous to the detailedarrangement of FIG. 8. However, a mere recompression under cooling byair may suffice.

The cooled and recompressed H₂ and water is recirculated and heated inthe recuperative heat exchanger. In view of the high pressure, the waterremains in liquidous form so that the H₂ can readily be separatedtherefrom in 282 for separate injection into the liquid fluidcirculation respectively at 292 and 295.

As far as the metal-hydroxide is concerned, it is subjected tomechanical and/or electromagnetic focussing at 298 (please note thatiron particles are dispersed in this liquid), and in 284 the MHDconversion process takes place whereby substantially all electricalenergy is consumed to obtain electrolysis M-(OH)₂. The (OH)₂ is flushedout at 285 and the tfd cushioning gas is also separated from the liquidphase at that point. Please note that the (OH)₂ is produced as a vaporthat separates readily from the MOH--M jet and will be condensated forextraction.

The block 303 denotes jet capture and to kinetic energy-to-pressureconversion for obtaining a return flow of the mixture of metal andmetal--OH to the solar heat exchange and collector 291.

The righthand portion of the drawing shows basically a flow path forair, 275, sucked into the system for cooling (heat exchange 305),separation of water 278 and extraction of nitrogen, 277. Referencenumeral 276 refers to a blower which sucks the air. That blowr may haveto be run by electrical energy from converter 284. That, however, is avery small load and will not interfere with the operation of the MHDgenerator.

It can thus be seen that the MHD conversion process is used only for(OH)₂ generation. As far as the hydrazine generation is concerned, theessential functions performed by the MHD process is the reconstitutionof the metal so that the solar energy can generate M-NH₂ whichsubsequently reacts with water to obtain MOH and (NH₂)₂ as well as H₂ tobe used in the synthesis of M-NH₂.

I claim:
 1. A system for converting thermal energy into different formsof energy including electrical energy, comprising:first means forproviding a first circulation of a liquidous medium, the firstcirculation including means for heating the liquidous medium; secondmeans for providing a second circulation of a different gaseous medium,including means (a) for mixing it with the heated liquidous medium,thereby combining the first and second circulations; means (b) forcausing the gaseous medium as mixed to expand, thereby accelerating theliquidous medium; and means (c) for separating the gaseous medium tocontinue separately in the second circulation; means included in thefirst circulation for extracting energy from the accelerated liquid, theliquid being returned to the means for heating pursuant to said firstcirculation; third means included in the second circulation to providefor recuperative heat exchange of the gaseous medium with itself,whereby the gaseous medium discharging thermal energy is taken from themeans for separating, the gaseous medium receiving thermal energy beingfed to the means for mixing; and a thermocompressor included in thesecond circulation and including a diffusion for compressing the gaseousmedium having discharged thermal energy in the third means at a lowconstant temperature and feeding the gaseous medium following thecompressing to the third means to receive therein discharged thermalenergy from the gaseous medium taken from the means for separating.
 2. Asystem as in claim 1, including diffusor means for the gaseous medium astaken from the means for separating, for pressurizing the medium to someextent, for driving it through the heat exchange; and nozzle means foraccelerating the latter gaseous medium following the discharging ofthermal energy but immediately preceding the compressing in thethermocompressor.
 3. A system as in claim 1 and including means forproviding for a third circulation of a coolant and connected to thethermocompressor to obtain heat exchange between said coolant and saidgaseous medium as compressed.
 4. A system as in claim 3, wherein thecoolant is temporarily mixed with the gaseous medium to obtainevaporative cooling, the means for the third circulation including meansfor separating the gaseous medium from the coolant by condensing thelatter.
 5. A system as in claim 4, said thermocompressor including adiffusor with a porous wall for discharge of the coolant into flowinggaseous medium.
 6. A system as in claim 4, said means for separatingcoolant including a layer of porous material.
 7. A system as in claim 4and including means for providing a forth circulation of a secondcoolant to obtain the condensation of the first coolant.
 8. A system asin claim 7, wherein at least one of the coolant is a magneto fluiddynamic liquid being moved by means of an MHD pump.
 9. A system as inclaim 7, and including means to obtain air cooling of the secondcoolant.
 10. A system as in claim 4, including means in the thirdcirculation for capturing residue of the liquidous medium that wascarried over by the gaseous means in spite of the separation.
 11. Asystem as in claim 1, said means for accelerating including pluralnozzles directing expanding gas flow and liquid droplets towards acommon axis.
 12. A system as in claim 11, including means for forming aliquidous film by capturing the accelerated droplets and means forguiding the film to converge to a compact jet.
 13. A system as in claim1, said thermocompressor including a diffusor; and baffle means formaximizing conversion of kinetic energy of the gaseous medium intopressure by the thermocompressor.
 14. A system as in claim 1, said meansfor extracting being an MHD generator.
 15. A system for convertingthermal energy into different forms of energy including electricalenergy, comprising:means for providing a heated magneto-fluid-dynamicalliquid and mixing it with a different, presurized gas; a plurality ofnozzles for expanding the mixed gas to obtain atomization accelerationof the resulting liquid droplets toward a common axis; an electric coilsystem, having interior space on said axis for being passed through bythe accelerated liquid, whereby a magnetic field is set up by the coilsto obtain an electric field in the liquid; means disposed for separatingthe gas from the liquid, and substantially already prior to passage ofthe liquid through the coil system; means for capturing the liquid; andmeans disposed for closing the circulation of the liquid and of the gas,including repressurization of the expanded gas prior to mixing with theheated liquid.
 16. A system as in claim 15, wherein said coil systemincludes a plurality of annular coils arranged concentric to and alongsaid axis.
 17. A system as in claim 16, said coils being disposed incomb like cores arranged around said axis and having radially extendingprongs separating the coils.
 18. A system as in claim 16, the liquidflow being contained in a tube, the coils being disposed outside of thetube.
 19. A system as in claim 18, wherein said tube has slightlytapered configuration in the direction of flow of the liquid.
 20. Asystem as in claim 15, wherein said coil system is connected tocapacitors constituting therewith an electrical, oscillating system. 21.A system as in claim 19, wherein coils located downstream are connectedfor 180° phase shift as compared with coils located more upstream.
 22. Asystem as in claim 15, wherein a part of the pressurized gas is directedfor cooling the coil system and for hydrodynamic stabilization of thejet.
 23. A system as in claim 15 and including mechanical focussingmeans for obtaining a narrow liquid jet through said coils.
 24. A systemas in claim 5 and including electromagnetic means in front of the coilsystem for focussing the liquid to flow in a jet along said axis.
 25. Asystem for converting thermal energy into different forms of energyincluding electrical energy comprising a plurality of tubes extendingparallel to each other and arranged around a central axis and extendingfrom a first end to a second end, parallel to the axis;partition platesconnected to and traversed by said tubes to establish therewith anelongated frame; envelope means of elongated construction, mounted onsaid partitioning plates and around said tubes of the plurality; an MHDconverter with accelerator nozzles, jet forming and guiding and jetcapture means disposed in the radially central space along said axis andbetween said tubes, particular ones of said tubes provided to runpressurized gas to the nozzles along the MHD converter; a lowtemperature, isothermic compressor disposed in axial alignment with saidspace and coaxial with said central axis for receiving gas and having anexit chamber communicating with said particular tubes to feedrepressurized gas thereto; and a heat exchanger and liquid reservoirpositioned adjacent to said first end, feeding hot liquid to saidconverter for mixture with said pressurized gas, and receiving liquidthrough other ones of said tubes from a chamber between the entrance tothe compressor and the jet capture means.
 26. A system as in claim 25,wherein first sections of a central tubing are included for containingthe MHD generator, another section of the central tubing serving as thereservoir for the liquid, a third section of the central tubingcontaining a heat exchanger in said exit chamber, the thermocompressorbeing coaxial with said central tubing, the central tubing being mountedin apertures of said partitioning sheets and in coaxial relation to eachother.
 27. A system as in claim 25, said envelope means including twoskins separated from each other and containing vacuum adjacent said MHDconverter, but circulating a heat exchange liquid adjacent saidreservoir.
 28. A system as in claim 27 and including corrugatedsheething between said skins.
 29. A system as in claim 27, one end ofthe envelope constructed for length compensation as to differences inthermal expansion of the skin.
 30. A system as in claim 24, whereinpartitions are used additionally to establish chambers for communicatingwith portions of the gap between said skins.
 31. A system as in claim25, said second ends constructed as heat exchanges with ambient air. 32.A system as in claim 25 and including a recuperative heat exchangechamber disposed between said MHD generator and said compressor, and inthe central space and being constructed for diverting the pressurizedgas from the said tubes into the central space and returning it to saidtubes, while said gas as leaving the MHD generator flows through saidspace in opposite directions to the entrance of the thermocompressor.33. A system as in claim 32, wherein sections others of said tubes inthe heat exchange chambers are provided to obtain condensation ofreaction products drawn from the MHD generator.
 34. A system as in claim32, wherein the space around the MHD generator as well as around therespective adjacent tubes is provided for running gas from the separatorchamber towards the thermocompressor, the central space adjacent the jetcapture and liquid return being constructed as diffusor to drive the gasthrough the said heat exchanger.
 35. A system as in claim 25 andincluding plug elements in the tubes to obtain flow space for differentportions of the tubes.
 36. A system as in claim 25 and includingradially positions fluid transfer means between central tubing and thetubes of the plurality.
 37. A system as in claim 25, wherein saidpartitions are of hexagonal shape, the plurality being six.
 38. A systemas in claim 25 and including a mirror for focussing solar radiation ontothe envelope adjacent said heat exchanger chamber.
 39. A system as inclaim 38, said mirror having a hollow interior, at least part thereofbeing filled with a light gas to obtain buoyancy in air.